Knowledge
by celtic7irish
Summary: Shinwoo knows the truth now. Please be warned, I have taken so many liberties with the original story line, it isn't even funny. Brief mentions of Takeo x Tao. Also, this has not been beta'd so any mistakes are solely my own.
1. Chapter 1

Shinwoo flipped off the television and scowled, glaring moodily at the blank screen. Downtown had been destroyed – again. That was the third time this week, and it was only Thursday. School had been closed for an indefinite amount of time, and citizens were encouraged to stay indoors, and to not venture out into the downtown areas. The residents in the immediate and surrounding areas had been evacuated, but nobody was giving any actual answers. Terrorist attacks, or exploding pipe lines, or crumbling infrastructures and shifting earth.

The redhead wasn't an idiot, despite appearances. He got decent grades in school; he just didn't like it. He wasn't much for structure and authority, anyhow. He preferred to hang out with his friends and play video games. And visit Rai and Principal Lee. The Principal's house had become quite crowded lately, what with Regis and Seira, plus the three older men that served as Ye-Ran High's Special Security Force. Tao, Takeo, and M-21.

Shinwoo snorted to himself; what kind of name was M-21? Sounded like a codename, rather than a real one. He rather suspected that he shouldn't be aware of the slender man's name, since the others never addressed him as such while he and his friends were present. Then again, they just called him "Ahjussi", or Mister, so he couldn't really say anything. At least the other two men had names they could be linked to.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and Shinwoo pulled it out, glancing at the text. Ah, it seemed like Ik-Han had work to do for his uncle. Suyi was working, and Yuna had gone out with her parents for the day. There was nobody at Principal Lee's place, either. All of which meant that he was on his own for the day, with nothing to do. Great.

Deciding that whatever he was going to do, it wouldn't involve staying indoors to die of boredom, Shinwoo stood up and headed for the front door, grabbing a t-shirt on the way and slipping easily into his sneakers. Who cared if he didn't dress nicely? It wasn't like it was a school day.

Walking out the front door, Shinwoo stretched his arms, enjoying the weather. At least, if the school had to be closed, it was during the warm season. Without really putting any thought into where he was going, Shinwoo set off at a light jog. Contrary to what his physical education teacher thought of him, he was in excellent shape. But he was usually up late at night playing games, and then didn't have time for breakfast in the morning, so his energy was severely lacking. The only thing that could get him going on those days was a healthy shot of adrenaline, usually caused by idiots trying to pick a fight.

Shinwoo reveled in his strength, because it gave him the power to protect those who were close to him. It attracted the girls, too, but that was just an added bonus, though it was the reason he gave most often when people asked him about it. It was nobody's business but his own why he did what he did. Besides, he enjoyed the opportunities that arose to use his strength. Was it pride? Probably. There was some arrogance mixed in there as well, his friends often teased him.

And that might have been true, until he had met Rai. It didn't take him very long to figure out that the quiet, intense man was a lot stronger than anybody Shinwoo had ever met. He wasn't sure if it was instinct or something else, but the man's aura had attracted the redhead almost instantly. And the others had come, following him, all of them strong, powerful, and determined. Even that silver-haired shrimp, Regis, exuded power, though at a much lower level than either Rai or Principal Lee.

Shinwoo had often gotten the feeling that things were being hidden from him and his friends. He also had the horrible sensation that he should know more than he did, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anything that might have revealed the truth. But he sometimes had flashes of glowing eyes and inhuman strength, of screams and fear and rage, of his body crumpling to the ground, not strong enough to protect his friend, not strong enough to even protect himself.

But nothing was clear, and he wondered if maybe he was just going crazy. Ik-Han seemed perfectly fine, as did both Yuna and Suyi. They never said anything about waking up from nightmares, their heart pounding, eyes searching wildly for a threat that was never there. He could never recall the details, just faint impressions that left him shivering until he convinced himself that he was safe, that his friends were safe, that there was no need to panic. He hated himself in moments like those, but they passed, and as time went on, they grew less vivid.

A loud rumbling noise, the sensation of flying through the air, and an angry voice yelling, "What do you think you're doing, stupid child?" brought Shinwoo back to himself. He was dropped to the ground a moment later, grunting as his knees impacted on the asphalt. Looking up, he stared at the empty space next to him, where he could have sworn Regis had been standing just a moment before.

Not far ahead, he could see the remains of what had once been a high rise apartment. Smoke and dust was everywhere, kicked up by the rubble that resulted from the men fighting higher up, on the remaining buildings. Squinting, his eyes watering, Shinwoo tried to make sense of what was going on. There was Takeo and Tao, circling a shaggy monster, their movements unsteady. They were hurt. Principal Lee was there, too, surrounded by two cloaked figures, blackness hissing and snapping around him. And…was that Rai? And Seira. Regis, too. What the hell was going on?

A vague memory of being slammed through a wall like a ragdoll, the insane laughter of a monster who reveled in violence. Speed faster than he could keep up with. Perhaps there was some truth to them after all.

"Why are you here?" a deeper voice asked, and Shinwoo finally realized that someone had missing from the tableau playing out high above his head. He turned his head to stare at the man he had always referred to as Ahjussi. The older man was in horrible condition, blood everywhere, evidence of a hard battle. His hands and arms were what drew the redhead's attention, though. Coarse grey fur, and long, lethal-looking claws. Without thinking, Shinwoo reached out to touch, but stopped when the other man flinched.

Looking up at him, he blinked. "M-21?" he asked. "What's going on? And why does it feel so familiar? Like it's happened before." M-21 stared at him, surprised, but any forthcoming answers were interrupted by a hiss of black energy that slammed into the ground next to them.

"What are you doing?" the Principal snapped. "Get him out of here!" He looked nothing like the mild-mannered, tolerant man that he did in school or at his home. His face had a maniacal expression on it, bolts and curls of darkness flashing across his face, throwing it into harsh relief. His opponent took advantage of his momentary distraction, and Shinwoo watched as he leapt, barely missing getting stabbed through the chest.

M-21 grabbed him, his hands back to normal. "Let's go," he said simply, yanking on his arm. Shinwoo followed numbly at first, but then stopped, forcing M-21 to either pull him forward or stop with him. The older man stopped.

Shinwoo met the other man's eyes. "What's going on? Who are you? _What_ are you? And Takeo and Tao? Why are Rai and Principal Lee fighting? Who are those guys?" He knew he was babbling, but he didn't care. He felt the slow stirring of anticipation low in his stomach, that feeling just before a fight, when your body knew what was coming and braced itself for the coming adrenaline rush.

"There's no time to explain!" M-21 snapped back, tugging on his wrist. Shinwoo just dug in his heels, whirling around at the sound of a pained cry. Takeo crumpled to the ground, his purple hair free from its ponytail. Tao leapt to defend him, but wasn't fast enough. There was a flash of silver and the sharp strike of metal on metal, and Takeo was safe. For the moment. "Get out of here," M-21 ordered, then ran off, heading for the fight. Shinwoo snorted; there was no way in hell he was leaving his friends here to fight the enemy on their own. All he'd do would be to worry about them, anyhow, so he might as well stay here and watch the fight to its conclusion.

The fight didn't last much longer, though, once Rai stepped in. The other man had been standing back, watching as the others fought, stopping whoever came his way, thinking he'd be an easy target. There was a huge ball of red something, then a loud crash, and smoke and bricks and bodies everywhere. Shinwoo's eyes closed against the dust as he coughed, covering his mouth and curling into a defensive ball.

Unfortunately for Shinwoo, his presence had not gone unnoticed. Sensing movement to his right, the redhead tried to shift himself out of range. The hand missed, but the foot that spun around didn't, knocking him back six feet into a brick wall. Pain exploded across his back and head, and Shinwoo groaned, sliding towards the ground. He managed to get his feet under him and avoid most of the next attack. He felt ribs crack where the other man's foot grazed him, and he swore, lunging forward and attacking, trying to catch the man off-balance.

A low chuckle, and the man suddenly wasn't there anymore. Shinwoo sensed him behind him and hit the ground, rolling away as soon as he felt the breeze over his head. "You're quick, for a human," the man commented mildly, his foot catching Shinwoo's ankle and stepping down. Shinwoo bit back his cry, wondering where the hell the others were, and hoping they'd stay away. They were all injured, and his current situation was nobody's fault but his own. He shouldn't have come here.

Still, perhaps he could buy the others some time. Glaring up at the other man, Shinwoo snapped out his free foot, aiming for his opponent's kneecap. A light hop, the grinding of bones, and the other man landed back on his leg, higher up this time. Shinwoo couldn't bite back the cry as he felt his knee pop. The next kick caught him in the forehead and sent him flying, across the street and into another wall. "Care to try that again?" the other man sneered. Shinwoo struggled to his feet, pride and determination warring with the need to try and escape. "Oh? You're tougher than I gave you credit for," the man murmured, almost approvingly. "Good. Then perhaps I won't get bored so easily."

With no further warning, Shinwoo had the sensation of flying again, the sudden movement leaving him feeling dizzy and sick. He thought he heard someone call his name – M-21, perhaps – but he could feel himself losing consciousness, so he couldn't be sure.

Well, he thought, blood slipping down his temple and into his hair, at least now he knew the truth. Not that anybody would believe him, of course. After all, a bunch of monstrous human-looking beings destroying entire city blocks wasn't exactly a common occurrence. Well, unless one lived in Korea, apparently, he thought wildly, laughter threatening to well up and choke him.

The man carrying him faltered, then skidded to a stop, and Shinwoo was dropped to the ground. Again. This was starting to get old. Trying not to call attention to himself, Shinwoo eased himself away from the other man. Dark eyes glanced at him, then dismissed him, turning back to face the other person on the rooftop. Shinwoo didn't recognize her. Long, dark hair, and equally dark eyes. Her bearing was regal, commanding. Shinwoo shivered; he got the same sense of power from her that he did from Rai, although his friend's strength was usually much quieter, though no less intense.

The redhead was ignored as the two combatants stared at each other. Two more bodies landed on the roof, taking up posts on either side of him. "Lord," Seira greeted diffidently. Rai said nothing, and Shinwoo looked at him in concern. He wasn't looking too steady on his feet. Red eyes turned to meet his for a moment, then turned back to face the woman that Seira had called Lord. Was she their leader or something? And if so, why didn't Rai address her similarly? Or was he not one of her people?

"What had you intended to do with that human child?" the Lord asked the trapped man, who scowled, but refused to answer. Shinwoo opened his mouth, but was silenced by an impassive look from Seira.

The man shrugged. "I had intended to use him to ensure my escape. You Nobles would not risk endangering a human child, and would have allowed me safe passage in exchange for the boy's life. Alas, it seems that won't be the case any longer. I shouldn't have dropped him, I suppose," he answered ruefully.

Seira stepped forward then, and Shinwoo's knees buckled as an oppressive power surrounded him. When it calmed, the silver-haired beauty stood there, holding a wicked looking black scythe. _Death God_, Shinwoo's mind supplied unhelpfully.

"I will finish him. There is no need for you to fight," she said, her voice that same calmly assured tone that she used in the classroom and at the Principal's place. Neither Rai nor the Lord said anything to the contrary, and the two combatants faced off. Rai turned and walked towards the edge of the roof, and Shinwoo found himself following. Without saying anything, Rai seemed to indicate that he wanted the redhead to do something. Moving to the very edge, Shinwoo looked down. About two stories down, there was a fire escape landing. He looked up at the other man, who said nothing, then turned back to look at Seira, who was locked in battle.

Looking down again, Shinwoo frowned, but didn't argue. He was just in the way here, and as much as he wanted to protect Seira from getting hurt, he was only making things more difficult. He was only human, and they were…not.

He shook away the thought as soon as it crossed his mind. That was wrong. They were human. They were just…stronger than most. A hand settled on his shoulder, and Shinwoo looked up at his friend – now also his protector. Rai spoke softly. "Thank you for that," he said.

Shinwoo just nodded, confused. A loud rumble, and the roof cracked between his feet. Deciding he had better move, unless he wanted to fall instead, Shinwoo braced himself and jumped, landing hard on his feet before immediately collapsing to the landing. Shit. He had forgotten momentarily about his knee.

The fire escape swayed dangerously a moment later, as dust and chips of stone rained over the edge of the building. Shinwoo coughed, then reached down to feel his knee, grimacing. Getting a solid hold on either side of his knee, he straightened his leg, feeling it click back into place. It hurt like hell, but it was better than leaving it alone. He'd probably have Principal Lee take a look at it later, or go to the hospital. Overall, he rather suspected he'd prefer the Principal. The blond seemed to be the one that all the other men went to when they got the crap beat out of them, so he figured the man must know what he was doing. Right?

The landing jolted slightly as Shinwoo stood up, M-21 leaping down next to him. "Are you all right?" he asked, and Shinwoo smiled at the concern he could hear in the other man's voice. Ahjussi might act cold and aloof, but he had a soft spot for Shinwoo and his friends. The whole lot of them did.

"Just fine," he grunted, testing his footing. His leg seemed to be holding, so as long as he didn't jump down another two stories, he should be all right to get out of here. There were still things that needed to be settled, but Rai had been right; he was just a human. All he'd do was get in the way, and prevent the others from fighting at full strength. The best he could now was to retreat, to give them room to do what needed to be done. M-21 nodded at him approvingly, and Shinwoo gave a cocky grin before taking off down the stairs, which swayed and shook dangerously, threatening to come unbolted from the side of the building.

No sooner did Shinwoo's feet touch ground than the building collapsed. He threw himself to the side, curling up and covering his head with his arms, wincing as he was pelted by bricks and glass, the dust kicking up in a thick cloud around him as the ground shook underneath him. Coughing, he squinted his eyes open, trying to reorient himself so that he could get away from the fighting. Hands grabbed him, making his cracked ribs protest, and he yelled, twisting his body sharply and lashing out with his fists, stopping just before he connected with the nose of the man holding him.

M-21 stared down at him in surprise, and Shinwoo offered up a sheepish grin. The older man just shook his head, but didn't put his burden down, and they were off and running. M-21 must have had a better sense of direction, because less than a minute later, they were well away from the bulk of the destruction. Rai and Seira were on either side of him. There was no sign of the other four or the Lord, and Shinwoo hoped they were okay.

"Uh…could you put me down now? Please?" Shinwoo asked. M-21 didn't even stop to consider, just kept moving, and Shinwoo flushed in mortification. He could run just fine on his own! He wasn't _that_ weak! He said as much, rather rudely at that, but M-21 just cuffed the back of his head and kept moving. Shinwoo stopped protesting, mostly because even that light tap had sent his head reeling. M-21 would deserve it if Shinwoo threw up on him right now. Bastard.

Fifteen minutes later, Shinwoo found himself flat on his back on a table in something that resembled a lab. His clothes were little more than rags by this point anyhow, so removing them hadn't been an issue, and Shinwoo scowled. His irritation and embarrassment faded once he got a look around. Takeo and Tao were lying on two more tables, hooked up to tubes and monitors and looking like hell. They looked like they'd had the crap beat out of them, and should probably be dead by now. Shinwoo swallowed.

The Principal – Frankenstein, according to Rai – was looking a bit rough around the edges, but he had taken the time to clean up. Rai looked as calm and collected as ever, but judging by the way the blond kept shooting him anxious looks – which he effectively ignored – there was something wrong. Seira was sitting on the edge of the bed where Regis laid, the shorter boy looking just as rough as Takeo and Tao. Still, even as banged and busted up as they were, they had obviously come out on top, or none of them would be here. As it was, every one of them was still alive.

Shinwoo didn't protest when the blond started examining his body. M-21, satisfied that the redhead wasn't going to put up a fight, moved to settle himself on another table, waiting patiently for his turn. Personally, Shinwoo would have preferred it if the Principal had started with the other three men who appeared in far worse shape than he was, but considering the other man could kill him in about two seconds flat, he wasn't going to kick up too much of a fuss. Except…

"How many times?" he asked, curiosity overriding his limited sense of self-preservation. Principal Lee – Frankenstein – didn't even look up, pressing lightly on his ribs. Shinwoo grunted at the pain that flared up in his side, then asked again. "How many times?" He was getting impatient already.

"I'm not sure I understand the question," the blond said at last. "How many times have we fought? How many times have we kept secrets? How many times have you and your friends been caught up in our fight?"

Shinwoo blinked. He really only cared about the last, but if the older man was offering…"Yes," he said simply. The blonde chuckled. "And while we're at it, can I call you Frankenstein, too?" he asked.

Frankenstein looked up at him this time, then smiled brightly. "We've fought more times than we can count. We've also been keeping secrets since the day you first met Master," he said. "Well, longer, if you count the fact that I was looking for Master long before he ever came across you and your friends. And you've been caught up in our fight, one way or another, more times than I care to think about. You're just a human, and even as good a fighter as you are, you're no match for the sort of enemies we go up against."

Shinwoo nodded; he had figured that much out pretty damn fast, at least. "Then why don't I remember?" he asked sharply. He wasn't sure if he really wanted the answer to that, but it didn't really matter, right? After all, they were probably just going to do whatever it was again, no matter what his personal feelings were on the matter.

"Because he erased your memory. But then, you already knew that, didn't you?" The soft voice belonged to Tao, who was awake and staring at him with something close to sympathy. "You're a lot more…aggressive than your friends are, so you've probably noticed that things aren't matching up. Am I right?"

Shinwoo frowned and shook his head. "Not really. It's just…I sometimes have these dreams. Only they're not dreams. They're more like memories. And sometimes, I feel things that I can't remember happening. And my injuries? The stories you were giving us didn't make sense. I've been hit by a car before and wasn't hurt that badly." Of course, at the time, he had been leaping on top of the car to pummel the guy who was driving it.

"You have memories?" Frankenstein asked sharply. Shinwoo nodded warily. "Hmm…that's interesting. You shouldn't remember anything except what I gave you to remember. That you still know what happened, even if only partially and in dreams, just confirms what I knew of you before. There's something special about you, even though you're a normal human. You haven't even been enhanced like these guys," he said, indicating the three older men with a negligent wave of his hand.

Shinwoo frowned. Enhanced? Then again…he glanced over at them, and remembered that feeling that he got from them, that they were strong, and had seen and done more in their lives than he might ever get to do. Not to mention that even though they had been quite thoroughly beaten, they had survived against the monsters they'd been up against a short while before.

Frankenstein was examining their bodies now. M-21 slipped off the bed he'd been on once he was cleared and walked over to Shinwoo, holding up a box. Opening it, Shinwoo saw that it contained bandages and grinned. "I'll do you if you do me?" he asked, his smile widening when M-21 snorted at him. The other man nodded, and reached out to start wrapping his ribs, his hands gentle but firm as he bandaged the teenager.

"So…why M-21?" Shinwoo asked as M-21 adhered fastened the bandage. "I mean, that can't be the name you were born with, right? And Tao and Takeo have real names, so why don't you?" He knew it was rude to ask, and the other man might not answer, but since his memories were going to be erased anyhow, he found he didn't really care. Soon, they'd go back to being Ahjussi and the two Hyungs, and Frankenstein would just be Principal Lee again. So they could humor him now, right?

M-21's hands hesitated for a moment against his back, then the other man moved around to kneel in front of him, probing gently at his knee. After he had wrapped the redhead's leg, and allowed the teenager to bandage his wounds, he spoke, and Shinwoo learned the fate of M-24, of all the M experiments. He learned about enhanced humans – with the occasional comment inserted by Tao and the now-conscious Takeo. He learned about Nobles and the Noblesse and the Union. And it didn't matter one bit, because he wouldn't remember a damn thing.

Shinwoo wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all, but he held in his anger, listening carefully. Perhaps, even if he didn't remember everything, some of it would stay with him, like it had before. Only this time, maybe it would be good things. Maybe he'd remember that these men, and the Nobles, fought to protect him and his friends, to protect their way of life. He just wished, briefly, that he wouldn't have to forget anything at all this time.

When the story was finished, silence fell. Shinwoo felt that stir of anticipation again, but fought it down. This wasn't something he could fight, and doing so would only cause problems for his friends, right? He didn't want to do anything that might get Rai or M-21, or any of the others, hurt because of him.

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, his resolution was firm. "All right, Principal Lee," he said, already reverting back to the more formal title, "go ahead. Erase my memories, or whatever you've got to do. I'm ready."

M-21 watched him with something akin to respect, but also something undeniably sad. Takeo and Tao watched silently, sympathetic. But it was Rai that surprised them most, with a single utterance in that quiet, firm voice of his.

"No."


	2. Chapter 2

"No."

The reaction was instantaneous, as Frankenstein and the three enhanced humans turned to stare at Rai disbelievingly.

"What? Why not?" Tao seemed more curious than concerned, as if he didn't really care one way or the other. Shinwoo could understand; he didn't know why Rai was refusing, either. Not that he wanted his memories erased, but he could see how it would make them – all of them – safer.

"Master?" Frankenstein asked, and the surprise was evident. Shinwoo held back a grin at that. It seemed that Rai often exasperated the blond, and yet it was equally obvious that Frankenstein would not go against his dark-haired master. Shinwoo might not know their history together, but it was apparent that they had been together for a long time, and had probably been through a lot together.

"It's not safe for him to know!" This was Regis. "He's a human! He shouldn't be involved in our fight!" Shinwoo had conflicting emotions about that. He had involved himself the moment he had decided to befriend Rai. But even with his strength, he wasn't as strong as the enemies these guys fought. Still, he felt that it should be his decision if he wanted to be involved or not.

Rai nodded in his direction, and Shinwoo blinked, confused. What was that about? It almost seemed like Rai was agreeing with him. He was pretty sure he hadn't spoken anything out loud, though. Could the Noblesse read minds or something? Rai glanced his way again, and Shinwoo couldn't be sure, but it seemed as if the other man was just a little unhappy. Shinwoo thought for a moment, then shrugged. He had no idea what was going on. All he could really do was wait and see if they could talk Rai out of it, of if his will would hold firm over theirs.

M-21 said nothing, and Shinwoo turned to look at the man standing next to him. M-21 didn't look his way, his face impassive, and Shinwoo realized that he would not voice an opinion either way, regardless of his own personal feelings on the matter. Considering how abrasive the other man could be when he chose to dislike someone, holding his tongue was quite a feat. But Shinwoo wanted to hear his opinion anyhow. If even M-21 agreed that his memory should be erased, then he'd allow it, regardless of Rai had said.

Reaching out, he touched M-21's arm lightly. Bright silver eyes turned to look at him. "What do you think, Ahjussi?" he asked, preferring to call him that rather than by his designation as an experiment. "If everyone here feels it would be safer for my memory to be erased, then it's okay." He tried to smile, but he knew he didn't look happy.

The other man shrugged. "That's your decision, isn't it? He is giving you a chance, so I'd suggest you take it." His words were blunt, but Shinwoo understood. This was nobody's decision but his. And even knowing that it might put him and the others in further danger, he found that he didn't want to lose these memories. They might be a little scary, but they had also made him feel closer to everybody in here, and he found that he didn't want to give that up.

"Then, I want to keep my memories," he said at last. He turned to meet Frankenstein's eyes. "I won't tell the others, and I know it might put you all in more danger, but I don't want to lose this. Not again."

Tao just chuckled, and Shinwoo turned to look at him. "The only one who's going to be in more danger is you!" he said. "A human knowing so many secrets about Nobles and the Union? If the enemy finds out, they won't let you escape. You'll be targeted for the rest of your life." Solemn now, he asked, "Are you prepared for that?"

Shinwoo didn't even hesitate. "I am. I've fought the monsters before, right? I'm pretty sure I lost, and badly, but it means that I've been targeted before, as have my friends, simply because we're linked to you. As non-enhanced humans, we're easy targets. And not knowing what's going on hasn't exactly done us a lot of good," he pointed out. "How much more danger will this put you all in?" he asked.

Tao glanced over at Frankenstein, who just sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "You won't put us in more danger, as long as you don't reveal your knowledge of us. Even when we've erased your memories, you've remained friends with Master, so you are constantly targeted. Perhaps being aware of the danger, you'll be more cautious and cause us less trouble." He didn't sound terribly optimistic about that, though. Shinwoo recognized where he was coming from – he knew he was reckless, confident in his strength and ability to protect those dear to him. But as a regular human, he didn't have the ability to protect the people in this room. Unless he wasn't a regular human anymore, he realized.

Before he could say exactly that, a hand covered his mouth firmly. Shinwoo nipped at the hand, but M-21 just ignored it, glaring down at him. Shinwoo blinked, closing his mouth, and M-21 removed his hand. The others were staring at him oddly, except for Rai, who was staring at Shinwoo instead. The redhead just dropped his eyes to stare at the floor. He wasn't sure what the big deal was, but it was obvious that neither Rai nor M-21 approved of the idea. How they had both known what he was going to suggest, though, he didn't know.

"You're too straightforward," M-21 said, and his voice thrummed with anger. It was the most emotion Shinwoo had ever seen out of the other man, and he swallowed. "You need to learn to think before you say something that's going to get you in trouble." Shinwoo blinked; was M-21 worried about him? The anger was still there, but there was something else under that, too. The teenager paused, thinking back to M-21's story. He remembered M-24 vaguely. The bulky man was the only one, other than M-21, who had survived out of one hundred experiments. And Tao and Takeo had been nothing but cannon fodder, their lives forfeit from the first day. And here he was about to ask if Frankenstein could enhance him, too.

He nodded. "All right," he agreed easily. "Then there's no choice, is there? I'll just have to become stronger on my own." He grinned cockily up at M-21. "How about you spar me, then? After all, fighting humans isn't any good, right? Since I haven't found anyone that could beat me yet." He couldn't really help the fact that he sounded like he was bragging, because he was. He was remembering the men in black suits that had attacked him and his friends in front of his school. Those creeps had been given some sort of training, he knew, but they were obviously not on the same level as these guys. And he had kicked their asses rather spectacularly, so he felt safe in his confidence on that front.

Frankenstein chuckled, his eyes lit up with amusement. "That sounds like a wonderful idea," he agreed. M-21 just gave him an unhappy face, which only served to further entertain the blond. "In fact, maybe you should start now. We never know when the next attack will come, now do we?" Shinwoo glanced back and forth between the two men, noting that M-21 was fuming now. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't want to be caught up in the middle of it regardless.

"Eh heh," he said, catching their attention again. He scratched the back of his head, not really sure what he wanted to say, but not wanting to watch the two men bait each other into a fight, either. Though it seemed like M-21 was wary of Frankenstein. Then again, seeing what he had during the fight, there was probably a good reason for that. Shinwoo didn't want anything to do with that black energy that had surrounded the blond during the battle. If he ever saw it coming after him, he'd probably turn tail and run.

Still, the idea of challenging an opponent that he couldn't beat - yet - left him feeling anxious, the anticipation coiling low in his stomach again. He had been forced to run away from the previous fight after being taken down so easily, but M-21 wouldn't be out to kill him. Hurt him, probably, but not kill him. He knew why neither Seira nor Regis could spar with him - their pride and sense of duty as Nobles would not allow them to use even a small amount of power against a human child. Tao and Takeo needed time to heal, and Frankenstein was obviously not intending to leave Rai alone for a while. Besides, taking on either Frankenstein or Rai was way above him right now. So M-21 it was.

Catching the looks of foreboding on Takeo and Tao's faces, Shinwoo felt his body hum with tension. Judging by their expressions, M-21 was stronger than either of them individually. The teenager hadn't seen much of the fight, occupied as he had been at the time, but he was observant. Of the three of them, M-21 was the only one still standing. And if Shinwoo wasn't mistaken, the older man's wounds had been healing, even as the redhead had cleaned and bandaged them. Shinwoo wondered if he'd get to see the other man's claws again. Maybe, if he forced the issue.

Shinwoo grinned in anticipation. In other words, he could go all out against the silver-haired man. It had been a while since he hadn't had to hold back in a fight. At least that he could remember. Erased memories didn't count, right?

M-21 looked at him, and Shinwoo's smile grew wider, his body practically vibrating. With a resigned sigh, M-21 visually checked over his comrades one more time, then strode towards the door, grabbing a shirt and jacket on his way out. Shinwoo slipped off the bed he had been sitting on, ignoring the creak of protesting ribs, and followed him out, waving cheerfully at the others as he followed the older man.

He followed the other man outside and down several blocks. It didn't take long for Shinwoo to figure out where they were going, and he chuckled. M-21 looked back at him irritably, and he smiled, eyes sparkling. "Is this your way of getting revenge, Ahjussi? Because you know he's gonna be pissed when he finds out," he pointed out. M-21's smirk told him all he needed to know. Principal Lee was not going to be happy if his school was damaged – again. The school walls had had more than one hole knocked into them recently, and now Shinwoo knew why. He shivered; that meant that the enemy had been practically on top of them, and they had been completely oblivious. There was nothing like having monsters knocking on your doorstep to give you a sudden wake-up call.

M-21 took him around to the back, where they were out of sight of the general public. Stopping in the middle of the courtyard, he turned to face Shinwoo, his stance relaxed as he watched the younger male, silver eyes completely indifferent, almost bored. Shinwoo's eyes narrowed; the man hadn't even bothered to take off his jacket! It was a blatant challenge if he had ever seen one.

Shinwoo tensed for a split second before darting forward, slipping to the left at the last moment and shooting his right fist upwards towards the other man's jaw. M-21 sidestepped him easily, and Shinwoo's right leg swung out, trying to catch him behind the knees. The older man avoided that, too, but had obviously been expecting Shinwoo to either finish his turn or back off. Instead, Shinwoo pivoted and threw himself forward, so that he was almost nose to nose with the silver-haired man. M-21 blinked, but managed to mostly avoid the punch to his ribs, Shinwoo's fist only grazing him as he stepped backwards. Shinwoo grinned manically, thoroughly enjoying himself. If M-21 thought that was all he had, he was going to be really surprised in a moment.

Shinwoo moved again, coming in low, straightening at the last second and aiming a high kick for M-21's jaw. The other man just grabbed his leg in one hand, stopping his forward momentum. Without even trying, he tossed the other boy away from him, and Shinwoo grunted as he hit the ground, the impact rough on his bandaged ribs. His knee hadn't appreciated being wrenched again either. Damn.

Back on his feet, Shinwoo watched the other man warily, calculating. M-21 remained unimpressed, allowing Shinwoo to circle behind him without even bothering to watch him. The redhead grinned. Ahjussi was a friend, and he wouldn't attack from behind. Not when he hadn't even managed to make the older man face him seriously. Still, that didn't mean that he couldn't play on the other man's weakness, right?

This time, when he swung his fist, he deliberately left his right side open. It should have been a red flag for M-21, but the older man wasn't taking him seriously, so he did what Shinwoo had expected him to, and took the opening. His fist slammed into Shinwoo's side, and the redhead recoiled as his ribs screamed in agony. M-21 realized what he had done, and guilt flashed through his eyes. Shinwoo staggered sideways, and when the older man reached for him, he kicked out, catching the other man in the stomach and sending him stumbling backwards.

M-21 stayed on his feet, but the look he gave Shinwoo was absolutely priceless. There was a lot of surprise, and a grudging amount of respect for the younger boy. Shinwoo scowled at him. "You're not taking me seriously," he accused. M-21 straightened up with a glare, but didn't disagree. Instead, he walked over towards a bench placed near the side doors in the shade. Taking off his jacket, he threw it over the top. Undoing the cuffs on his shirt sleeves, the silver-haired man turned to face Shinwoo again. No claws yet, but that was okay. The redhead didn't particularly fancy getting cut up right now.

Now that the other man was facing him properly, Shinwoo braced himself in anticipation of a good fight, determined to make the other man work for every strike he managed to get in. Seeing that the first move was up to him, Shinwoo darted in, and the fight was on.

Nearly forty minutes later, Shinwoo lay gasping on the ground, M-21 sitting next to him, not even winded. Shinwoo's whole body felt bruised and achy, and he knew he was bleeding, but it was too much effort to climb to his feet right now. "That's you holding back?" Shinwoo asked. M-21 nodded, watching him consideringly.

"That was a decent effort," he said at last. "Even holding back, I was using more power that I normally use against non-enhanced humans. That you lasted as long as you did is…impressive." Shinwoo tried not to appear smug, but he really couldn't help the wide grin on his face. It was rare that he got praised by any of the older men, so to hear that he had done well, even though he had been rather soundly trounced, pleased him.

"You were going to ask the Boss to make you an enhanced human," M-21 said suddenly, changing the topic. Shinwoo nodded warily. "Why?" It seemed like a simple question, but Shinwoo knew that it wasn't. Rolling over onto his side, wincing as stiff muscles shifted, he faced his friend seriously as he considered. His eyes were drawn again to the older man's hands, and he reached forward. M-21 didn't move as he ran his hand over his knuckles and fingers.

M-21 didn't speak as Shinwoo thought about it. He was very rarely serious, and usually just said whatever came to mind, but that wouldn't cut it today and would probably only serve to make Ahjussi mad at him. So he mulled it over for a moment before speaking, not really sure what he was saying. "Ever since elementary school, I've always been a fighter. It wasn't something that I wanted necessarily, but it just sort of happened. My hair coloring sort of drew bullies to me, so I learned to protect myself. Once I wasn't easy prey, they found others to bully. Ik-Han was the main one. I found him cornered by the bigger boys, and took them on. They won by numbers, but I made sure to pay them back everything they gave to me."

"While I was in the hospital, Ik-Han came to visit me," he said, his eyes lighting up in mirth at the memory. "He was so timid, but I didn't hold anything against him. Then he let me watch while he hacked into the school records and made some adjustments. Those boys never knew what hit them," he chuckled. "We became best friends after that."

He knew he still hadn't explained, but he paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Anyhow, the bullies left us alone after that. And if they started in on someone new, and I found out about it, I put an end to it quickly. Between Ik-Han and I, they finally got the picture and realized that it just wasn't worth the trouble. We were always careful not to get caught, and they knew better than to say anything to any of the teachers."

"In middle school, I realized that the girls found my fighting ability to be both impressive and thrilling. They were attracted to the bad boy reputation I had. Which would have been perfect, except that it didn't work on the one girl that I actually wanted," he said ruefully, thinking back to his confession to the pretty Yuna. She had turned him down gently, but it had been all over school by the end of the day.

Rolling back over, Shinwoo tucked his left hand behind his head and stared up at the overcast sky. It would probably rain soon, as evening fell. "But that didn't matter. There was nobody who could take me on by that point. I was safe. And more importantly, my friends were safe, because I could protect them. I was strong enough to do at least that much." He smiled, but it wasn't happy this time. "I'm not much good at academics, or even sports," he said. "I'm sure you've noticed." He saw M-21 nod out of the corner of his eyes. "Yeah, well, none of that mattered as long as I could hold my own, and protect the others. Ik-Han and Yuna helped me maintain decent grades, at least."

"And then Rai showed up. I knew something was up with him the first time I saw him, but I couldn't figure him out. I mean, here was this new guy that I'd never seen before, dressed in the Ye Ran High uniform, and giving off this aura of…power." M-21 looked surprised, and Shinwoo scowled at him. "Look, I've been able to judge an opponent's strength for years now. But Rai was different. He was strong, but it was subtle, quiet, practically nonexistent. It was obvious that whatever he might've done before, he didn't want to fight anymore. And so I disregarded him as a threat."

"Then things started happening. Terrorist attacks and kidnappings and murder. You and your friend showed up, then the Hyungs. Even Regis and Seira. And things started getting worse. I've had dreams about some of those attacks," he admitted. "Nothing concrete, but I know that I've lost, that I've been protected by you and the others, and especially by Rai."

His right hand clenched into a fist. "I wasn't strong enough to protect even my friends. All that strength and fighting ability that I had been so proud of now meant nothing!" He caught M-21's look and glared right back. "Don't look at me like that! I know that I've been able to at least hold them off long enough for you all to get there, but it's not enough. And while my head tells me that I did everything I could, I don't believe it. So I thought that maybe, if my strength were enhanced, like yours, then I could protect the others. And not just Suyi and Yuna and Ik-Han. I want to be able to protect everybody. Even Rai."

Winding down, he stared back up at the sky, not wanting to see the other man's expression. "I know it sounds stupid now, but at the time, it seemed like the perfect solution. And…Principal Lee has been making enhancements to you and the others, right?" he asked. He felt more than saw M-21's hesitant nod. "I trust him to not hurt me, to not make me into just an experiment." And that was the crux of the matter, wasn't it? He trusted the blond – Frankenstein – to treat him as a human being, rather than as a thing, an object to be experimented upon.

Forcing himself into a sitting position, Shinwoo turned to face M-21. "Don't worry," he reassured the other man. "I won't ask again. Promise." And he meant it, but if Frankenstein offered on his own, he'd accept without any qualms. He met M-21's searching gaze, and apparently satisfied the other man, because he climbed to his feet, reaching down a hand to help Shinwoo do the same. Grinning, the redhead gripped his hand firmly and allowed himself to be pulled upright. His eyes were drawn once more to M-21's hand, and the other man just sighed.

Shinwoo watched as M-21 transformed his hand and arm, claws extending and coarse fur traveling up under his sleeve. Without waiting for permission, the redhead touched his arm, the fur ruffling under his palm. It was rough and tickled, and Shinwoo lifted up his arm at the wrist, examining the claws. They were long and hard, and Shinwoo could just imagine them slicing into the enemy. _Prey_, his mind supplied merrily.

"Thanks, Ahjussi," he said at last, allowing the other man's hand to drop. A mere second later, and M-21's arm was back to normal, slender and pale, but strong. M-21 hadn't relied solely on his enhancements, choosing to strengthen himself as if they didn't exist. After all, in the beginning, those enhancements had only caused him and his friends grief. He had no doubt expected that he'd die soon, just trash to be used and thrown away by the Union.

But here he was, surrounded by comrades, protecting children who had no idea what he was, or what he could do. Shinwoo had noticed that the other man had gradually seemed to grow more used to this life, that he had accepted that he had friends that cared about him. The loss of M-24 had been hard on him, but the man had died protecting Shinwoo and his friends. He had died doing what he wanted to, not what somebody else ordered him to do, and M-21 had taken comfort in that.

Shinwoo stumbled, his hand going to his ribs as he grimaced, his knee protesting. A hand gripped his elbow, steadying him, and he shot a grateful smile at M-21. "Thanks," he said, straightening himself up. Once the other man was certain he wasn't going to fall again, he released Shinwoo's arm. The boy stretched his arms above his head, arching his back and neck. As he did so, the first rain drops hit his upturned face, and he laughed at the cold shock. "Let's get out of here!" he said, taking off towards Principal Lee's home. The others were undoubtedly waiting for them; some worried, some indifferent, but all waiting nonetheless.

Shinwoo made a silent vow then. He wouldn't let a single one of them down. Even if he was only a human, he would do everything in his power to protect them. And, more importantly, he would never slow them down. If they died, it would not be because he was too weak, because he had needed rescuing. It would not be because the enemy saw him as a liability, as a potential hostage. And if he died, then it wouldn't be because he was weak. It would be simply that the enemy was stronger. There was a difference, even if he was the only one who understood it.

M-21 ran past him, outpacing him easily, and Shinwoo laughed at the challenge, picking up speed, ignoring his bruised body like usual, pushing his thoughts to the back of his head and allowing himself to enjoy the moment. There would be time for the rest later.

Reaching out, he slapped M-21's back. "Ahjussi's 'it'," he crowed, and the game was on. Shinwoo never stood a chance.


	3. Chapter 3

Shinwoo's days flew by after that. When he wasn't hanging out with his friends at Principal Lee's place or sleeping, he was out training. Twice now, he had managed to force M-21 to transform. It was never a full transformation, which the older man had shown him once, but it was a victory nonetheless.

Sometimes, Tao and Takeo would come out and watch, offering unhelpful suggestions and just generally causing a distraction. Shinwoo was used to it, though – seriously, what sort of school didn't have distractions? – so it was mostly for his benefit, as M-21 couldn't resist a snappy retort now and again, which left openings for Shinwoo. The redhead wasn't above taking advantage of them, either.

He also got to watch the three enhanced humans, as well as the two Nobles, battle with Frankenstein. Shinwoo had begun referring to the more sadistic personality as Frankenstein, while the man that tolerated him and his friends, that couldn't stand messes, and that quite obviously adored Rai was Principal Lee. It helped him to keep up the ruse that he didn't know any more than his friends. Part of him had hated the need for deception, but he had agreed that the more people who knew their secrets, the more dangerous it would be for all involved, and he didn't want his friends to be put in that sort of danger because he couldn't keep his knowledge to himself.

The three enhanced humans never stood a chance against Frankenstein, and were beaten thoroughly every time. Afterwards, M-21 would pick himself up, give himself a short break to heal the worst of the damage, and then take Shinwoo out to spar. Even injured, he was capable of proving more than Shinwoo could handle most of the time.

Seira was the only one who could somewhat hold her own against the blond, and even she couldn't win. Regis was usually the first Noble to go down, but Seira had to pull out her Soul Weapon every time. Still, she had three times now forced Frankenstein to use his Dark Spear. When the blond man had explained to Shinwoo that the Dark Spear was the human equivalent of a Noble's soul weapon, Tao had added that it also had a nasty habit of being a bloodthirsty, sentient monster that constantly tried to devour its owner and enemies alike. The computer genius had made a swift retreat after spilling that little secret, and Shinwoo had found himself warily eyeing the hissing, snapping weapon from a safe distance every time the blond brought it out.

The Union seemed to have stepped back momentarily, following the defeat over nearly one third of its elders, but nobody took a rest. They just used the time for training. Frankenstein reopened Ye Ran High, having no excuse to delay the students' return. He had insisted that Shinwoo attend classes like normal, and threatened to stop his training if he didn't comply. At least he hadn't suggested erasing Shinwoo's memories again.

Takeo, Tao, and M-21 were back to their duties as well. Shinwoo would find himself mimicking Rai, staring out the window absent-mindedly while Pedro droned on in the background. He wasn't sure what he was hoping to see, though. Perhaps he just wanted to see whatever it was that Rai saw.

Occasionally, one of the three security guards would walk into his view, patrolling the grounds, and Shinwoo would track their progress. Sometimes all three were together, and other times, there was only one of them. None of them ever looked up, though Shinwoo was certain that they knew he was watching them.

After school, Shinwoo would hang out with his friends at the PC Bang, or they'd go to Principal Lee's house, enjoying themselves while Rai maintained his affectionate silence and his blond servant eyed the mess, his eyebrows twitching on occasion. Seira cooked, Takeo and M-21 did the dishes, the girls offered to help cook or clean, and Regis explained patiently, for the umpteenth time, that cleaning was his job, and that the girls were guests. Tao kept them all entertained, with games or jokes or funny anecdotes.

Most nights, Shinwoo would watch as their host disappeared to somewhere deeper in the house. Sometimes, one of the three older men would follow him, but mostly, they remained upstairs until after the kids had left. Shinwoo left with the others, laughing and talking, keeping up the ruse as he walked first Suyi, then Yuna, home. After Ik-Han had gone his own way, Shinwoo would circle back around towards the school. More often than not, M-21 would already be waiting for him there, his jacket already off as he stood, relaxed, waiting for the younger boy to make the first move.

It was during one of these nighttime sparring sessions that Shinwoo had his first full flashback. It was different than the occasional glimpses he had gotten before, the ones that left him feeling like he had met M-21 before he actually remembered meeting him.

M-21 had grabbed Shinwoo's wrist, and the boy had spun around behind him, forcing his arm upwards uncomfortably. M-21 flexed, and lifted Shinwoo over his head, still gripping his wrist. That would have – _should_ have – been impossible for any normal human. He had been thrown like this once before, by a pale man with gleaming red eyes, fangs bared as he tossed the teenager away from him as if he weighed nothing.

Shinwoo came out of the flashback when his back hit the ground, hard. Blinking, he stared dazedly up at a pair of concerned silver eyes. Those same eyes had once stared at him and his friends in cold amusement, threatening Yuna's safety if he didn't comply with his demands and fight the monster they had brought with them. The same monster that Shinwoo had taken on only days before, clobbering him with a trash can.

"You…why?" he asked, trying to reconcile the M-21 he remembered with the Ahjussi he knew now. M-21's confusion matched his own. "Yuna. You kidnapped her," he said. M-21's face paled, and the man stepped away from him, looking ill. "You had that weird guy with you, too, with the fangs and the laser beams coming out of his eyes. And the big, tall one that looked like Pedro." He made a connection then, with M-21's story and his own memory. "That was M-24, wasn't it? Your friend?" he asked.

M-21 nodded, and his expression was so forlorn that Shinwoo wanted to forget everything and start over. But that wouldn't change what had happened. Still, Shinwoo had the feeling that there was more to the story than what he remembered. Or rather, that there was more going on in M-21's head at the time than they realized. "The full truth," he insisted, his eye narrowing at the older man. M-21 looked surprised again, but slowly nodded.

"We were following orders, and trying not to," he said at last. Shinwoo frowned, not understanding, and M-21 sighed, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "The Union's policy demands that all witnesses must be eliminated. You and your friends were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and saw the infected guy that M-24 had created. Therefore you should have been killed. If either M-24 or I had personally stepped in, you would have died," he said matter-of-factly.

Shinwoo nodded; that much had been made perfectly obvious in a matter of seconds. "So, we gave you the only chance we could; the only one that might not get us killed or recalled for insubordination. We had our own goals, after all, and we weren't going to forget it just because a couple of brats got involved where they shouldn't have. So we came up with a compromise, a game of sorts. If you fought the infected and won, then you could escape. It wouldn't have been our fault if he had been unable to kill you. And if he had killed you, then the problem would have been solved."

His voice had lowered when he said that last line, but Shinwoo didn't care. Striding up to M-21, he cocked back his arm and swung, his fist catching the older man in the cheek and sending him flying. He hit the asphalt and skidded for a few more feet before coming to rest, not moving. Shinwoo flexed his fingers, trying to restore feeling in them. "There. Now we're even. Jerk," he muttered.

M-21 looked up at him, surprised, and Shinwoo gave him a disgusted look in return. "What? Did you really think I'd hate you for that? Idiot." Walking forward, he reached out with his hand. M-21 stared at it for a long moment, as if expecting Shinwoo to strike him again, but then he reached out and grabbed it, allowing Shinwoo to pull him to his feet.

Once M-21 was up, Shinwoo turned around and started walking back towards Frankenstein's place. He didn't feel like sparring anymore. M-21 followed behind him silently, letting Shinwoo mull things over. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself when you promised to stay out of it," he said at last. M-21 didn't answer, which was just as well, because the redhead wasn't done yet. "But…you nearly died protecting us. And M-24 lost his life," he said. The more he remembered, the harder it was for him to reconcile the two men. Perhaps M-24's loss had been the deciding factor?

M-21 sighed behind him, and Shinwoo stopped, turning to face him. The other man looked resigned, but he met Shinwoo's gaze steadily. "That wasn't part of the plan. We were impressed by you. And we hated Jake, since he saw us the same way as everybody else at the time…nothing but trash, easily disposed of because we were useless. Just failed experiments."

He made a rueful expression. "Not to mention that once those two entered the picture, there was no other option but to retreat, even if we had been intent on killing you all," he said. Shinwoo nodded; Frankenstein and Rai had shown up to save them, and that's why their opponents had just walked away from the fight. He had suspected it might be something like that after hearing M-21's story earlier.

"It was M-24 who told me that I should trust those guys. After he died, I didn't have anywhere to go. If I had reported back to the Union alive, they would have interrogated me and realized that I had advanced beyond their expectations. I would have become nothing but an experiment once more. And since I'm the last one left, I'm the only one who can realize our dream." Shinwoo didn't ask what his dream had been; he was pretty sure that he knew. More than once, he'd overheard Tao apologizing to the other man for not being able to find out more about his past, his life before he'd become an experiment.

M-21 shrugged. "So when Frankenstein and the Noblesse allowed me to stay, I did. At first, it was because I had nowhere else to go. And then, as time passed, I came to enjoy my life here. I have a purpose again, and comrades. I never expected either of those. The only thing I expected was an early death, either while on a mission, or because of an experiment gone wrong." He looked almost depressed, if that impassive expression could be labeled as such.

Shinwoo was uneasy now; he'd never been much good at comforting people. If he couldn't solve it with his fists, then he was at a complete loss. It was part of the reason he was so awkward around Yuna sometimes, especially when something frightening was going on.

They walked the rest of the way to Frankenstein's place in silence. Most nights, Shinwoo went home, but when he felt the need to talk to someone, he stayed at the other man's home instead. Tao and Rai always listened, if nobody else did. Come to think of it, even M-21 and Takeo listened to him. They were just always so quiet and impassive themselves that he didn't always know if they were paying attention, or if they were spacing out on him.

M-21 opened the door, and the two males walked inside, blinking in the dim light. There was a low murmur of voices, and Shinwoo followed the sound into the living room, where Takeo and Tao sat. The television flickered, but it was only background noise for their conversation. Takeo looked up, his arms wrapped casually around Tao's shoulders. Shinwoo had learned quickly that of all of them, Tao was the one that craved touch the most. He was also the most personable among the others.

Tao had explained once that while nobody in DA-5 had really trusted anybody else, he and Takeo had liked each other more than they'd liked anybody else in the group. When they had come here, following M-21's request to Frankenstein, they had grown closer. They had also accepted M-21 into the group, so now the three were comrades, and got along reasonably well. They still bickered sometimes, but it was mostly in jest. Shinwoo had never seen them attack each other like they meant it. Mock battles for training purposes didn't count.

"Spending the night, Shinwoo?" Tao asked with a bright smile, not moving from his position on the couch, settled between Takeo's legs, his back pressed against the other man's chest.

The redhead nodded. "Yeah, if it's not too much trouble," he said, his words muted. Tao shot him a concerned look, and even Takeo glanced at him curiously. M-21 must've done something behind his back, because they didn't press him for information, and he turned and headed for the spare bedroom. He kept a few changes of clothes here, since more often than not, whatever he was wearing ended up dirty and torn during his sparring matches with Ahjussi.

Grabbing a pair of sweatpants, Shinwoo headed for the shower. The hot water would help to sooth the various aches of his body, and give him time to settle his thoughts. The only thing he knew for certain was that he liked Ahjussi, and the older man was helping him – and had saved them all in the past, several times. He was mostly upset about the fact that he had lost the memories in the first place, but that wasn't M-21's fault. Frankenstein and Rai had been the ones to erase their memories. And he couldn't even blame them for it, which just left him frustrated, but with nowhere to vent the anger.

Standing under the hot water, his face tilted into the spray, Shinwoo allowed his body to relax, settling into a familiar routine. He winced as shampoo ran over the abrasions across his shoulders from where he had hit the pavement. He flexed his wrist, but it didn't seem to be sprained or anything from being tossed over M-21's head.

By the time he had finished his shower, Shinwoo's emotions had settled and he was thinking rationally again. It was a fact that M-21 and M-24 had been amusing themselves at the expense of him and his friends, but other than Yuna, they really hadn't been in that much danger from the infected guy. The others, Jake and Mary, had been dangerous, and in another league entirely, but by that time, both M-21 and M-24 were working to keep them safe, to protect them. And in doing so, M-24 had lost his life, sacrificing his dream to save their lives. And M-21 had very nearly lost his own life several times while protecting them as well. It would be terrible of him to repay that kindness with anger and harsh words.

After he was dried off and dressed in his sleep pants, Shinwoo padded quietly down the hallway. The living room lights had been turned off, but the dim flicker and low murmur of noise indicated that the television was still on, which meant that the room was at least occupied. If M-21 wasn't there, whoever was should know where he'd gone.

The low hum of conversation stopped the moment he walked in, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, like they'd been talking about him. It was more like they were waiting for him to decide if he wanted to join them or not. Shinwoo quickly located M-21, who was watching him neutrally. Keeping his own face as expressionless as possible, Shinwoo moved over to the couch where the three men were sitting. Takeo and Tao hadn't moved from their earlier position, and M-21 was sitting on the arm rest nearest to them. All in all, it looked very companionable.

Shinwoo's clumsiness with comforting words had resurfaced, so he decided to be blunt. These three men would probably appreciate it more than sugar-coated words, anyhow. "I remember everything now, about all three of you," he said, taking in the other two in a glance. "What you did was wrong, but you tried to fix it, and now you help Rai. And you've saved us more than a few times. If you want forgiveness, I can give that. If you want my silence, I can promise that, too. But I can't promise to forget it ever happened."

The three men looked at each other. Tao gave in first, his head bowing as he chuckled. Takeo and M-21 followed him, and Shinwoo just watched them warily, afraid they might become hysterical at any moment. He hadn't said anything that warranted such a reaction, had he?

"Damn. Looks like you were right, M-21," Tao said at last, grinning up at Shinwoo. "This kid really is full of surprises, isn't he? Even remembering that bastard Shark, and that we did absolutely nothing to stop him, hasn't deterred him, has it? I'm surprised that he's not angry at us on your behalf, either," he mused.

M-21 just moved out of the way, and Shinwoo let loose, grabbing both surprised men and dumping them unceremoniously to the floor – on the far side of the couch. Flopping down where they had been a scant moment before, Shinwoo waited until they stood up again, completely unhurt. "That was for M-21. I'll pay you back for my friends later," he promised.

Tao and Takeo looked at each other, then at M-21, who shrugged. "I already took my punishment," he said, silver eyes amused as they stared down at the redhead. "And just like you two, I accepted it. It's more than worth it for his forgiveness, isn't it?" Tao and Takeo nodded in agreement. They settled themselves on the other side of the couch, but Shinwoo didn't move. Tao simply took the most expedient route and picked up Shinwoo's feet, settling them in his lap, and the low murmur of conversation picked up again, as if it had never been interrupted.

They were talking about work, with the occasional grimace as they remembered the beating the buildings had taken, and Frankenstein's reaction. There was some gentle teasing as they debated who had caused the most damage and would therefore incur the majority of the blond's ire. Shinwoo allowed the quiet hum of their voices to lull him to sleep, his eyes sliding shut. He felt a hand touch his hair hesitantly, and fingers comb gently through his hair, but ignored it. It felt good, and it wasn't hurting him, so who cared?

He wasn't sure exactly when he fell asleep, and he didn't recall being covered in a blanket as the others retreated to their respective rooms for the night. He wasn't aware of Rai standing in the doorway, watching him in that silently neutral way of his, or of Frankenstein scanning the room for any messes left behind. Seira brought an extra blanket and laid it over him while Regis watched. Shinwoo remained blissfully unaware, free of nightmares for the first time in several months.

If he'd thought about it, he'd realize that he felt safer and more at home here, surrounded by Nobles and modified humans, than he ever did at his house. If he'd thought about it some more, he might have come to the realization that these people were more than just friends, teachers, and comrades. They were family.

And if he had really thought about, he'd have realized that the uneasy feeling he sometimes had was the fear of losing all of it. That somewhere out there, there would be somebody who was stronger than them, somebody who would destroy all that they held dear.

He really should have remembered that.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, Shinwoo!" Ik-Han caught up to the redhead after class had ended for the day. "Are you going to visit Rai?" he asked curiously. Shinwoo realized that Ik-Han, Yuna, and Suyi hadn't been to see Rai in at least a week or so. It hadn't even occurred to him to invite the others along, since he usually hung out with them before going over to Principal Lee's place.

He nodded. "Yeah, I think he probably misses us, don't you?" he smirked. Ik-Han's grin matched his, and he gestured to the two girls behind him, who smiled happily. Shinwoo knew that training was important, but surely there had to be time for some fun, too, right? Besides, it had been a long time since he had gotten the pleasure of watching Principal Lee's eyebrows twitch as he observed the mess they were making. Seira would be happy to have them there, since she enjoyed cooking.

Suyi raised her hand, her eyes bright with laughter. "I'll pay for the snacks, okay? We just got a big bonus for our last photo shoot." The others agreed to let her pay; she wouldn't be swayed, and it was in their best interest not to fight with her about it too often.

Waiting outside the convenience store for his friends to finish their shopping – they had banned him from accompanying them after he had gotten into a fight with a bunch of punks and wrecked at least two aisles – Shinwoo felt a prickling on the back of his neck. All of his training with M-21 had taught him to heed the warning signs when he felt he was being watched, and he wouldn't ignore it now.

Settling himself in a slouch against the brick storefront, Shinwoo tilted his head down towards the ground, kicking weakly at a nearby pebble, looking for all the world like a bored, lazy teenager. His eyes scanned the nearby area, trying to pinpoint the direction of the feeling creeping down his spine and settling in his stomach. He didn't see anything immediately amiss, but he didn't relax. Lowering his guard now would make him easy prey.

The door opened with a jingle that startled Shinwoo, and he turned to watch his friends spill out of the store, their arms loaded down with bags. As he turned to offer to carry the girls' bags, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Whipping his head in that direction, he scanned the street, but whoever – or whatever – he had seen was gone.

Belatedly, he realized that his friends were staring at him worriedly. "Are you all right, Shinwoo?" Yuna asked, her soft voice concerned. Shinwoo just nodded, reaching forward to divest her and Suyi of their bags of snacks and heading off towards Rai's. The others looked at each other, frowning, but dropped it and followed him. After a few moments, they started talking. Shinwoo added his own two cents, and by the time they reached their destination, they were back to normal, chattering and laughing and joking with each other.

Shinwoo kept his eyes open as they walked, but the feeling of being stalked never returned and he didn't see anybody on the streets that didn't belong there. Still, he'd feel better once he had informed Rai and Frankenstein of what he had seen. He was pretty sure they wouldn't disregard his concerns, even if he didn't have anything to go on but a feeling and a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of his eye.

Standing in front of the door, Shinwoo rang the bell. As soon as he heard the crackle of the com turning on, he greeted the people inside. "Hey, Rai! We came to play! On either side of him stood his friends, all of them grinning and waving and adding their own enthusiastic responses. "C'mon, Rai! You know how to open the door right? Principal Lee taught you, didn't he?" Shinwoo teased, well aware that he was probably irritating the blond. Watching the older man try to keep his cool when they were all there being obnoxious was quickly becoming a favorite pastime of his. He rather suspected it entertained M-21 and Rai as well, though they were less obvious about it.

A moment later, he heard the click that indicated that the gate latch had been opened, and he pushed through, walking up to the front door. Before he could raise his hand to knock, the door was open. Rai stood there, staring back at him with that unruffled, impenetrable gaze he always seemed to wear. Behind him were M-21, and Frankenstein, who was clapping. Shinwoo shot M-21 a confused look, but the other man just shrugged, not offering an explanation.

Rai stepped aside, and the four students wandered into the house, greeting everybody as they did so. Frankenstein greeted them with a mild, "I wasn't expecting you, but please come in." None of the annoyance he was probably feeling right now showed in his expression on tongue, and Shinwoo smiled widely at him, trying not to laugh, even as the others ignored the hint and gave their usual greetings, leaving their shoes in the hallway before walking towards the living room and settling around the table.

Seira had seemed to be expecting them, because there was plenty of food to go around, and things settled into the normal routine quickly, Shinwoo and Ik-han yammering away at Rai and Regis, while the two girls were much quieter with their own amusements. Once the snacks had been all but demolished, Ik-han got down to business and brought out several games that he had been carrying in his backpack.

Rai's blank expression as he observed these new games was priceless, and Shinwoo grinned to himself. For as old as the Noblesse was, he was surprisingly naïve and clueless about everything, from games to locks to social interaction in general. He was too eloquent to ever seem really awkward, but that endearing sense of innocence never left him, regardless of how long he had lived, what he had been through, or how much power he had.

Shinwoo caught Takeo's eye as the other man walked into the room and made a small hand gesture with his right hand that he had seen the other men make on occasion. The long-haired man frowned lightly at him, but then nodded, and Shinwoo smiled before turning back to the game. Takeo would let the others know that he needed to talk to them. Still, there were more important things going on right now, and Shinwoo returned his attention to the board game.

"I call red!" he exclaimed, and Ik-han just rolled his eyes. Suyi and Yuna giggled, and Regis just stared at him, confused. Shinwoo ignored him, watched as Rai chose white and Frankenstein black. It seemed so natural that Shinwoo wondered if it was habit. The others chose their pieces, and the game was on!

It was nearly three hours later until they were finished, and darkness had long since fallen. Shinwoo and Ik-han had, as usual, completely crushed their opponents and were busy gloating. Loudly. Yuna had held her own, but she wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as the two males about the game. Rai's aura was almost depressed, and Frankenstein looked just as gloomy. Regis just looked stunned.

Ik-han stretched. "Ah, I guess we should get going," he said regretfully. Yuna and Suyi offered to help clean up, same as they did every time, but Regis turned them down. As they walked to the front to put on their shoes, Shinwoo followed them. He saw M-21 turn from where he'd been washing dishes and watch him intently, but he ignored him. Takeo had delivered the message; it could wait until he got back.

"Hmm…good night for a walk, don't you think?" Tao's light words and smile were enough to divert all suspicion regarding ulterior motives. Ik-han was delighted that he'd be coming with them, and Shinwoo found himself relaxing. Having even just one of the enhanced humans tag along would help greatly. It wasn't that he didn't think he could take care of himself, but he'd learned quickly that he really wasn't the strongest guy out there. If he was up against normal humans, even if they'd had training, he'd probably win, but considering what had been going on lately, the chance of picking a fight with normal guys was starting to look pretty slim.

Tao winked at him, and they were out the door. They'd take Yuna and Suyi home first, and then pass Ik-han's house on the way back. Shinwoo didn't feel anything suspicious when he first walked out the door, but the further away they got from Frankenstein's home, the more that creeping sensation crawled up his neck. He found himself trying to watch everywhere at once, and didn't stop until he trip, nearly taking Yuna down with him.

The girls looked concerned, but Tao just brushed it off, teasing him. "I thought you had better footwork than that, Shinwoo." The redhead glared for a moment before flipping him a finger and stalking forward, putting himself ahead of the others. Tao started talking to Ik-han, and slowed their pace only slightly, so that he and the shorter boy ended up behind the two girls, who were busy gossiping with each other anyhow and didn't even notice.

Once the other three were dropped off at their respective homes, Shinwoo and Tao headed back to Frankenstein's place. "Okay, so what's up, kid?" the computer genius asked once they were far enough away. Shinwoo glanced in his direction, then went back to searching the street. He shrugged.

"I'm not really sure. I've got this creepy feeling that we're being watched. I thought I saw something, earlier, while I was waiting for the others to finish buying snacks, but then they went away. When we left the house, I didn't feel anything unusual either, but the further away we got, the stronger the sensation got. But I haven't seen anybody who looks out of place," he frowned.

Tao nodded. "That's to be expected. If somebody's watching us, then they're very good at it. You're right, though. I've got the same feeling, like we're being watched. But I can't tell if there's malicious intent or not." Tao didn't bother to regulate his voice. If whoever was watching them overheard them, he'd either reveal himself, or take better care the next time. Either way, they should be able to confirm something.

That feeling didn't leave him, though, and Shinwoo growled under his breath, pivoting on his heel and glaring into the darkness behind them. "Look, if you've got something to say, just come out and say it!" he snapped. "I don't have time to wait for you to make a decision."

"Ah, Shinwoo. That is perhaps not…the best course of action," Tao suggested, but Shinwoo ignored him. "Well, too late now, I suppose," the older boy murmured ruefully, his eyes sharp as he tracked the streets on either side of them. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" The singsong distracted Shinwoo for a moment. There was a blur of sudden movement, and he hit the ground, Tao's cables snapping out above him, trying to wrap around their opponent's limbs.

Shinwoo had a vague sense of light and shadow, and then it was gone again, the sensation of being watched lifted. The redhead rubbed the back of his head and stood up from where he had been shoved to the ground by Tao. Noticing that Tao was gone, he scanned the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the older boy and figure out where he was going. Had he been able to give chase? Shinwoo frowned; he didn't like this at all.

"Tao? Hyung?" he called, his eyes narrowed. Shit. He'd go after them, except he had no idea where they'd gone. He was debating his next course of action when his phone rang. Startled, he pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the number. It was Frankenstein calling. Perfect.

"We were being followed. Tao's gone," he said, not even giving the blond time to speak. "I have no idea which way he went, and Tao didn't tell me anything before he took off. I guess he's following the guy who jumped us. Everything okay where you are?"

There was a moment of silence while Frankenstein digested his words. When he replied, his words were cautious. "M-21 and Takeo should be there, as well. They left shortly after you children did." And Shinwoo understood what went unspoken. If M-21 and Takeo had been following them, they should have revealed themselves after the other three were dropped off, but they had never showed. Shinwoo lifted his eyes to the skyline, but there were no familiar silhouettes standing on the rooftops around him.

"Shit," he breathed, the gravity of the situation hitting him. Another thought occurred, and he panicked. "The others! Ik-han and Yuna and Suyi! They're in trouble!" Ignoring whatever Frankenstein had replied, he closed his phone and took off, heading back the way he'd come. It would be easier to hit them all in reverse. He should've found some excuse to stay with them tonight! A sleepover or something.

The lights were still on in Ik-han's house, and Shinwoo knocked on the other boy's window. Ik-han opened the glass and looked at him worriedly. "Shinwoo? What's wrong? Where's Tao Hyung?" he asked, looking behind Shinwoo. The redhead just shrugged; he didn't know where the other boy was, and that was part of the problem.

"Come on, we've gotta go make sure the girls are okay," Shinwoo said instead. Ik-han just looked at him like he was an idiot, and he growled. "Look, I don't have time for this. They could be in danger, okay? We have to go see them. Now!" he said, anxious, but not willing to leave Ik-han to his own devices.

His friend just held something in front of his face, and it took Shinwoo a moment to realize that it was his cell phone. Oh. Shinwoo shifted on his feet while he waited for Ik-han to call the girls. They were both fine, albeit confused and getting worried, and Shinwoo relaxed. If whatever had been following them had wanted to kidnap them, it would already have been done. Especially if they were all capable of moving that quickly.

Ik-han hung up, then looked at Shinwoo seriously. "What's going on? And don't feed me any bullshit this time," he said. Shinwoo nodded; he was too relieved that they, at least, were safe. He'd tell him the truth. Some of it, at any rate.

"I can't really explain. Somebody's been watching us since shortly after we left Principal Lee's place. Tao went after him, but I was worried that maybe he had friends, and that they'd come after you and the girls instead." He shook his head when it looked like Ik-han would ask more question. "Look, I don't know any more than that, and I didn't want to say anything earlier because I thought maybe I was imagining it." That was a bald-faced lie, but Shinwoo didn't care. He didn't want any of his friends more involved than they had to be.

Ik-han was still watching him suspiciously. "Did you want to spend the night?" he asked. "I mean, if whoever Tao Hyung was chasing managed to escape him, it might not be safe for you, either," he pointed out. "Did you see the guy?"

Shinwoo shook his head. "Not very well," he admitted. "But I'll be fine. I called Principal Lee," he said. Right on time, a car came around the corner, and Shinwoo turned to look out into the street. The driver side door opened, and Principal Lee stepped out. Shinwoo restrained his grin; he hadn't realized the other man actually drove. After all, when one was capable of covering miles in only a few minutes, what use was there for a car?

"Children," the blond greeted with a nod. "I am glad to see that you are safe. And the girls?" he asked. Shinwoo and Ik-han assured him that they were fine as well. "Very well, that is good to hear. If you wouldn't mind, please call them back and let them know to expect police officers to be arriving at their homes shortly. It is better to take precautions now than to regret it later," he said. Turning to Shinwoo, he gestured back towards the car. "Please climb in. I will drop you off at your home," he said.

Shinwoo said his goodbyes to a confused Ik-han and followed Frankenstein to his car. There was no sign of Rai anywhere, so Shinwoo slipped into the passenger seat. As Frankenstein pulled away, Shinwoo explained what had happened. He wasn't too concerned that his friends would guess the truth behind everything, but he was worried that they'd start asking tough questions. Still, he'd much rather deal with that than have them be put in danger because he hadn't been careful enough.

"Have you heard from any of the others?" he asked, his voice hushed in the tense silence of the car. Frankenstein shook his head, his mouth drawn in a thin line, and Shinwoo swore quietly. There was no way that the three enhanced humans wouldn't check in with someone if they had been able to. Which meant that they really had been kidnapped, without even getting a chance to put up a fight. "Union?" he asked, because that seemed the most likely answer.

Frankenstein frowned. "I'm not certain, actually," he admitted. "M-21, at the very least, should have been aware of any Union agents in the area." Shinwoo nodded in agreement; the werewolf's instincts that were a part of the other man made him highly aware of threatening elements in the vicinity. Besides, even Shinwoo had felt them being watched, so there's no way that M-21 wouldn't have noticed.

"How many other enemies do you guys have?" Shinwoo asked, frowning. "If it's not the Union, then could it be the Nobles? But I can't see what reason they'd have for kidnapping those three anyhow. I mean, couldn't they just send Regis' Gaju to deliver a message or something?"

They were about a block away from the house when Frankenstein pulled the car into a huge garage, parking in the third space, which had a sign stating 'Reserved'. There were several of them in a row, and Shinwoo was distracted for a moment, wondering if _all_ these cars belonged to the blond. He shook his head; it didn't matter.

As they walked out of the garage and towards the house, Frankenstein answered him. "We've been very careful to keep ourselves hidden," he admitted. "Lukedonia and the Union finding out about us were unavoidable, unfortunately. But there aren't any other enemies that I'm aware of that could just grab three modified humans and disappear without a trace. You said that Tao tried to attack the one?" he asked.

Shinwoo nodded. "Yeah, he did. I got distracted for just a moment, and they were both gone. I don't know if he grabbed Tao, or if Tao followed him and then got taken. I couldn't keep up with them." And he hated having to admit that. But Frankenstein didn't say anything, just eyed him consideringly before turning to face forward, humming lightly under his breath. The redhead frowned. "What?" he asked, a bit mulishly. He really hated it when the other man started tossing theories around in his head and didn't bother to enlighten anyone else.

Frankenstein shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I'm wondering if perhaps the original target wasn't Tao." Shinwoo frowned; of course the original target had been Tao! Because if it hadn't, then that meant that the enemy had been going for…oh.

Shinwoo snorted. "You can't actually believe he was going for me, can you? I mean, whoever it was took M-21 and Takeo, too! So why would _I_ be the target?" It just didn't make sense. Besides, as far as he knew, all of his enemies were one hundred percent human. Unless he had pissed off somebody before, and his memories of that incident had been erased. But even then, Frankenstein would be aware of it, right?

The blond shrugged. "It was just a possibility. M-21 and Takeo seemed concerned, so they followed shortly after the rest of you left. Seira and Regis wanted to follow as well, but were convinced that it was better that they stayed behind, just in case something actually _did_ happen. But in theory, if they were after you and didn't want to have any trouble, wouldn't it make more sense to isolate you first by getting rid of your guards?"

Shinwoo frowned. He had a point, but there was still a massive flaw in that plan. "Yeah, but if that was the case, why didn't they grab me when I ran to Ik-han's house? It's not like I had anybody with me at the time," he pointed out sensibly. And wow, look at him, actually thinking logically for once.

"Mhm," his companion murmured thoughtfully as the house came into view. "Regardless, you will be staying here while we attempt to locate the others." There was no arguing with that tone, and Shinwoo nodded obediently as they walked through the gate – which had been unlocked – and up to the front door. The redhead shifted uneasily, something nagging at him, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Blue eyes flicked his way once, and Frankenstein lifted a hand to type in the code that would let him into the house. Before his hands touched the pad, however, he froze, a frown covering his features as he stared at it intently, his head tipped slightly to the right as he blinked at the buttons. "Something's wrong," he said slowly, turning to look back at the gate. "I never leave the gate unlocked. Much less the front door."

The two humans shared a worried look, and Frankenstein pushed open the door. "Master?" he called as soon as he had set foot inside. There was no reply, but then again, Rai usually didn't respond to the other man. Or at least, not loudly enough to be heard out here. Frankenstein moved quickly towards the living room, Shinwoo following right behind him.

The blond stopped abruptly, and Shinwoo hit the brakes before he plowed into the back of him. Standing on his toes to peer over the other man's shoulders, Shinwoo stared into the empty living. Slowly, things sunk in and he asked, "Is there anybody in the world who could have taken two Nobles and _Rai_ without a fight?"

Frankenstein shook his head. "No, not possible. There should be signs of a struggle, at the very least, if the house wasn't leveled. This looks almost like they left of their own free will." Walking over to the table, he picked up Rai's teacup, still half full with cold liquid. "Master wouldn't have left his tea to get cold," he said, and Shinwoo looked at him sharply. The blond's eyes were unfocused, and slowly, black energy coiled around him, hissing and snapping. Shinwoo flinched back from it; it was obvious the other man was furious.

Without saying another word, Frankenstein whirled around and headed for the door. Shinwoo went to follow, but the blond turned to glare at him and he froze. "Stay here. You can't go where I'm heading, and if anything happens, you're the only one who will understand. Call me if there's an emergency," he said. His tone said that there had better not be, and Shinwoo nodded in compliance, swallowing his arguments. Frankenstein didn't wait for anything further before stalking out the door, and Shinwoo was left alone, blinking bemusedly at the closed door. What the hell had just happened?

With a sigh, he walked back into the living room, but the empty silence bothered him, making his skin twitch unpleasantly. With nothing to do, and not yet willing to leave the house, Shinwoo let his feet lead him down unfamiliar hallways and stairs, passing a number of doors that he had never seen before. Some of them opened up into large rooms filled with books, or various studies and offices.

Others were locked, and Shinwoo didn't waste time wondering what was behind them. Possibly nothing, but he was sure they were locked for a reason. And he didn't want the Dark Spear anywhere near him, even if Frankenstein wouldn't actually attack him. Probably.

Eventually, his path led him down into the lower levels of the house, and Shinwoo found himself starting at a huge set of double doors. Reaching out, he laid his palm flat against the cool metal. To his surprise, the door opened easily at his touch with a low hiss. Apparently, this room wasn't locked. Peeking through the small opening, Shinwoo stared in astonishment. Frankenstein had a lab down here? Somewhere in his head, he had known that, because the others had spoken about treatment and enhancement, but this wasn't anything like what he might have expected.

Pushing the door open a bit further, Shinwoo slipped inside, his eyes trying to take in everything from the equipment to the humming machinery to the wall of monitors that covered the entire right side. Slowly, he wandered around the room, his hand occasionally reaching out to touch something lightly before pulling back. To be honest, he wanted to whoop and holler and run around testing everything out, but he knew that if he broke anything, he wouldn't be allowed to come back. Ever.

Besides, there was nobody here to share his excitement with. Ik-han would have had a field day, and Tao could have showed them how everything worked. M-21 would just pretend to ignore them, taking everything in stride, while Takeo would watch them with that tolerant gaze of his, making sure they didn't break anything. Rai would probably be sitting in a chair drinking tea, perfectly at home in the lab as he was anywhere else.

There was another door at the far end of the lab, and Shinwoo moved forward to look. Patterns were etched lightly in the metal of these doors, and while the redhead couldn't make out the designs, he guessed that they must mean something. It wasn't really important right now. He reached out and touched the handles, but the doors didn't budge. Instead, he just got a sharp tingle that left his hands numb when he jerked away. "Ouch," he muttered, rubbing his hands together to try and get some feeling back, glaring at the door. "What was that for?"

He kicked the door, but it didn't even leave a dent, and Shinwoo gave up. Obviously, whatever was behind those doors was something he wasn't allowed to know about. Deciding there was nothing more to be seen down here, Shinwoo headed back out of the lab, feeling the doors close behind him. There was a loud click, and he realized that somehow or other, he had just been locked out. Well, damn.

Restless again, Shinwoo found himself pacing, worrying about his friends. Where were they? What had happened? Had Rai and the two silver-haired Nobles really left on their own? Was everybody okay? Running a hand through his hair in frustration, Shinwoo made a decision. If he wasn't the target, then it shouldn't matter if he left the house, right? And if he was the target, as Frankenstein had suggested he might be, then perhaps he could find out what had happened to the others.

Checking his phone one last time – no new messages – Shinwoo put on his shoes and left the house, making sure to lock it behind him. No sense in leaving it open to looters and the like while the owner was away. Glancing up at the sky, he realized that it was really late. Or else it was really early, depending on how one looked at it. Good thing tomorrow was a weekend, then.

He was about two blocks from his home when he felt that he was being watched again. This time, he didn't even bother to pretend. "Look, if you've got something you want to say to me, just come out and say it. I don't know what I did to piss you off, but if you've hurt any of them, I'll kick your ass," he growled. There was no response, and Shinwoo was glad that most sane people were asleep. Otherwise, he'd look sort of stupid making threats to empty air. Still, he knew there were eyes trained on him. And not just one pair, either.

There was movement to his left, and Shinwoo spun, his arms coming up defensively as something crashed into him, sending him skidding backwards. Blindly, he lashed out with his fist, feeling it connect with whatever had just hit him. There was a grunt, and the presence was gone again. Shinwoo didn't relax, his eyes open and watching the shadows for movement.

Feeling the shift behind him, Shinwoo spun around, his foot lashing out in a lethal kick. He caught a glimpse of pale skin and eyes, a flash of dark hair, and his opponent dodged his attack, leaping back into the shadows. The redhead tried to follow, but stopped short when all he found was a brick wall. He swore loudly and fluently, glaring around him, bracing for the next attack. There was another flicker of movement just ahead of him, but no attack followed.

Just as quickly as they had arrived, they were gone, and Shinwoo was left standing alone on the empty street. Well, not entirely alone, he noted as he strode over to where he had last glimpsed his attackers. Lying there in a crumpled heap was a familiar figure, and Shinwoo knelt down next to M-21, his hands shaky as they hovered over the injured man, hesitant to touch him. There was blood everywhere, and the other man's breath was raspy, his chest stuttering as he tried to breath.

Finally, Shinwoo settled his hands on the other man's shoulders and shifted him as gently as possible into a sitting position. He knew that the other man healed quickly, and found himself wondering just how bad off he had started out. "Ahjussi?" he asked, hating how his voice shook. "Can you hear me? Please be okay," he pleaded. There was no sound from the other man, and Shinwoo lifted him, staggering under his dead weight, afraid to cause more damage but unable to just leave him on the street, either.

Dragging the other man over against the fence, off the pavement, he set him down gently and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Frankenstein's number. He got voice mail, and left an urgent message informing the blond that M-21 was back, and badly wounded. Hanging up, he considered his friend again, biting his lower lip as he thought. At this point, his home was closer, but the other man might be better off at a hospital. Then again, considering what he was, a hospital was too accessible. The last thing Shinwoo needed was for the Union to try and finish him off while he was hurt and unconscious. Frankenstein's lab would be the best place, he supposed, but until the blond was back, that wasn't going to work, either. Which didn't really leave him any other options.

"Good thing my parents are never home, I suppose," he muttered, standing and lifting M-21 again, trying to find the best way to carry him. Finally, he was forced to sling him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "Just don't die on me, 'k?" he muttered, more to himself than to the unconscious human. There was no response, but then again, he hadn't really expected one.

Trying not to think about how the others were faring, if even M-21 was hurt this badly, Shinwoo managed to stagger the both of them into his house and straight to his room. Dropping the other man on the bed as gently as he could manage, Shinwoo stepped back and observed him critically. His clothes were in shreds, and Shinwoo doubted he could save them anyhow, so he started stripping the other man, wincing when he had to tug fabric away from dried blood and healing wounds. The fact that the other man was healing was a good sign, even if it was slower than usual for the older man.

Grimacing, he tossed the blood-stained clothes in the corner and went to get some bandages and antiseptic. His bedclothes were probably a lost cause and would need to be burned, but that was all right, too. They could be replaced easily enough before his parents came back.

Walking back into the bedroom, his arms burdened with supplies, Shinwoo dropped them onto the nightstand, turning on the lamp and angling it towards the other man so he could see better. He hesitated only a moment, wondering where to start, and then decided it didn't matter. Starting at M-21's face, Shinwoo carefully, but thoroughly cleaned the other man's wounds, mostly scratches, though there were a few deeper, jagged injuries down on his chest and sides.

Occasionally, M-21 would twitch away from him, still unconscious, when he cleaned a particularly large wound, but Shinwoo didn't give up, simply waiting until he had settled before trying again. He had no idea how long it took him to get the other man cleaned and bandaged, but when he was done, his eyes were burning and his hands were trembling from exhaustion. Glancing out the bedroom window, he noted that the sun was already coming up over the horizon.

Grabbing his phone once more, he checked for messages. There was nothing, and he couldn't help but worry about Frankenstein. Had he been taken as well? If he had, there was nothing that Shinwoo could do on his own, having no idea where Lukedonia might be located. Perhaps M-21 would know when he woke up.

Moving M-21 as little as possible, Shinwoo stripped the bed and grabbed some extra blankets out of the closet, throwing one underneath the silver-haired main and two more on top of him. Half-asleep on his feet, Shinwoo took another blanket and an extra pillow and settled himself on the floor. He didn't want to leave M-21 alone, in case he woke up before Shinwoo did. Or disappeared.

Closing his eyes, Shinwoo slept.


	5. Chapter 5

Shinwoo woke up, feeling less rested than when he had first closed his eyes. A glance at the clock revealed that he had only slept for about four hours. Shit. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Shinwoo sat up, stretching. It wasn't like he was going to get any more rest at this point, so he might as well try and get hold of Frankenstein again. Or perhaps one of the others had returned.

Turning to look at his guest, Shinwoo froze. Silver eyes were staring back at him, clouded with pain, but aware. "Ahjussi?" he asked quietly, hesitating to break the silence. M-21's mouth worked, but no sound came out, and Shinwoo scrambled to his feet. "It's okay," he hurried to reassure the other man. "It's just me. I found you last night and took you to my place. Do you remember?"

M-21 frowned, then shook his head. This time, when he spoke, words came out. His voice was harsh and raspy. "No. Shinwoo? What happened?" he asked, the effort sending him into a coughing fit. Shinwoo practically flew down the stairs to grab a bottle of water and a straw, then came back upstairs and handed them to M-21. The older man nodded his thanks and took a few careful sips, wetting his throat.

Shinwoo settled himself on the floor, his back against the bed. Tilting his head back so he could look up at M-21, he started explaining. It didn't take very long, and when he was done, he fell silent, waiting. M-21 frowned, thinking.

"I don't remember much. There was movement, and I turned to face it, and then Takeo was gone. I felt something hit me, and then nothing, until I woke up just now. Here." Shinwoo felt his blood run cold. M-21 had been unconscious the entire time? Then his injuries weren't from a fight with whoever – or whatever – had taken him and the others.

M-21's next words brought him out of his stupor. "But even if they were that strong, they shouldn't have been able to take _him_ without a struggle. Which means that he probably left of his own free will," M-21 mused. "What I can't understand is why. Surely, if the enemy had tried to use our disappearance as blackmail, _he_ would have just destroyed them. But he didn't. Why not?"

Shinwoo shook his head, then froze. Turning, he took another look at M-21's injuries. Still, there had been no sign of a struggle, no bloodstains anywhere in Frankenstein's house. Which meant that M-21 hadn't been used to fight Rai. Shinwoo wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Silver eyes stared at him sharply. "What were you thinking just now?" M-21 demanded, his eyes narrowing. Shinwoo just shook his head; it didn't matter. It didn't make sense. Then again, what about this crazy situation did?

Instead, he dropped his head to his knees and said, "I'm guessing you have no idea where the others are, then, huh?" He couldn't help but sound hopeful, but M-21 confirmed, and he sighed. "Damn." All kinds of questions were running through his head now, but the one that he really wanted answered was why M-21?

"Why did they give you back, and not the others? What's the purpose in that?" he asked out loud, turning to look at the other man. Guilt flashed through M-21's eyes, and Shinwoo winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, honest. I just don't understand. Of the three of you, you're the strongest, right? So why would they give you back? Why not Takeo? Or Tao?"

M-21 frowned as he thought about it. "Perhaps because I'm only strong at fighting," he said at last. Shinwoo gave him a blank look, and he sighed, elaborating. "Tao could probably find whoever took us with his computer hacking skills. Takeo is also a member of DA-5, and is not to be taken lightly. He specializes in long distance combat, but it's possible that he knows more about our enemy than I do, or managed to get a look at them before he was taken. I was an even lower level agent than they were, so I'd probably know the least."

Shinwoo sighed. "Dammit," he muttered. "Still, I'm glad they gave you back. They could have just kept all of you. Frankenstein's on a rampage," he added, almost as an afterthought. M-21 didn't say anything, but Shinwoo could feel the room temperature drop. "Yeah, that's what I thought, too," he said, grinning. M-21 gave him a small smile in return, and Shinwoo shook himself, clapping his hands together. "All right, then shall we get going? Nothing's going to get accomplished if we just stay here. Are you okay to move?" he asked, concerned.

M-21 wordlessly swung his feet to the floor and stood up. He swayed for a moment, then nodded. "Do you have clothes that might fit me?" he asked, wryly, and Shinwoo grinned, walking over to his closet. He and M-21 were about the same size, and while it might not be the other man's style, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Pulling out a pair of faded jeans and a black t-shirt, Shinwoo tossed them over to the other man. M-21 slid them on, then left the bedroom, Shinwoo following. There were no shoes for M-21, but he didn't seem concerned, opening the door and walking out into the street barefoot. Shinwoo frowned as he slipped on his own shoes, then followed. "You okay wandering around barefoot?" he asked bluntly.

M-21 nodded. "Yes, I prefer bare feet, actually," he admitted. "It might have something to do with the werewolf's heart, but I don't know. It's a rather recent development, but since it isn't causing any harm, the boss didn't seem too worried." Shinwoo nodded and let it go, following M-21. He realized almost immediately that they were heading back to Frankenstein's place. Shinwoo texted his friends, making sure everybody was okay. It was still pretty early, so they might not be awake yet, but he wanted to check nonetheless.

Looking up from his cell phone, Shinwoo cursed and threw himself to the left, just barely avoiding have a handful of claws pierce his side. "Ahjussi! What are you doing?" he snarled, then paused. Something about the other man seemed a bit off. When he swung back around and lunged at Shinwoo again, the redhead realized what it was, even as he rolled out of the way. M-21 wasn't moving as smoothly and efficiently as he usually did, which had probably just saved Shinwoo's life.

Silver eyes stared at him blankly, and M-21 bared his teeth at Shinwoo. He ran at him again, and Shinwoo dodged, bringing his foot down to crash against the back of M-21's neck. Normally, that wouldn't have worked on the other man, but the attack connected, and M-21 slammed into the pavement with a snarl, rolling.

Jumping backwards, Shinwoo braced himself for the next attack, hoping he didn't have to kill the other man before he brought him back to his senses. Things were slowly starting to fall into place. He still didn't know who the enemy was, but it looked like Frankenstein had been right. Shinwoo himself was the target. And they had given M-21 back because Shinwoo wouldn't be expecting his friend to attack him, and would be reluctant to go full-out against him.

Shinwoo snorted; they were wrong, on both counts. Obviously, these people had never witnessed their sparring matches. This wasn't the first time that M-21 had attacked him when he hadn't been expecting it. And Shinwoo knew just how tough the other man was. There was no need for him to hold back.

With a sharp smile, he gestured at the other man in a 'come get me' motion. "Let's see what you've got, Ahjussi," he taunted. M-21 pushed off the ground and virtually flew at him, and Shinwoo dropped, his knee coming up and catching the other man in the stomach, his hands grabbing around his opponent's upper arms, helping him to throw M-21 away from him. He was back up and moving before M-21 recovered, and his foot caught the other man across the cheek.

M-21 flew into a nearby car, making a loud bang, and Shinwoo winced. Nobody came to investigate, though, and Shinwoo watched the other man warily. Slowly, M-21 sat up, staring back at him confusedly. "What just happened?" he asked. Not letting down his guard, Shinwoo stayed back as the other man climbed to his feet.

"You back to yourself, Ahjussi?" he asked, carefully. "Because if you attack me like that again, I'm going to have to put you down and chain you up or something." He was perfectly serious; he didn't want to hurt the other man more than necessary, and if that meant restraining him until Frankenstein returned, then so be it.

M-21 was staring at him in astonishment. Shinwoo met his eyes steadily, not backing down. M-21 frowned, then turned to look down at his claws. "I…attacked you?" he asked. When he looked up, Shinwoo could see the anger in his eyes. "But why would I attack you? You're not a threat."

Shinwoo blinked; not a threat? What was that supposed to mean? M-21 must have seen his confusion, because he stood and started walking again, making sure to keep ahead of Shinwoo. The teenager allowed it, following a few paces behind, and M-21 explained. "You know my heart is that of a werewolf, right?" he asked. Shinwoo nodded; M-21 had told him that when he was telling the rest of the story. Well, I seem to be developing certain instincts related to that. The werewolf instincts are much simpler in regards to how he sees people. There are packmates, like Takeo and Tao. There are enemies, or threats, which must be destroyed or driven out of its territory. There is prey, which is weak and very much not a threat. Then there are those who don't fall neatly into any of those categories, like yourself."

Shinwoo didn't think too much into that, because it would just make him grumpier than he was already was, thanks to lack of sleep and that random attack. "Whatever was going on, I don't think you were aware of what was happening," he said, bringing the conversation back around. "Your movements were off, like they weren't your own."

M-21 stared at him in astonishment. "Mind control?" he asked. Shinwoo shrugged; how was he supposed to know? He had never had mind control used on him that he was aware of – unless that's how Frankenstein made them forget, which he doubted – but it sure as hell had seemed like it. M-21 shook his head angrily. "If the enemy is strong enough to use mind control on me without me even noticing, then we're in trouble. Perhaps chaining me down wouldn't be such a bad idea. Better than me attacking you, at any rate," he said unhappily.

"Not happening," Shinwoo denied vehemently. "I was only half-serious when I said it in the first place, and that was only for if you hadn't come back to your senses. I'm paying attention now. You won't be able to catch me by surprise like that again," he promised. M-21 didn't look convinced, but Shinwoo wasn't backing down.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and Shinwoo pulled it out, watching M-21 who stared back at him, both of them stopped in the middle of the sidewalk they had been walking on. Glancing down, Shinwoo saw that it was just Ik-han. The "officers" had allowed the three to stay together, so they were all at Yuna's place right now. Shinwoo snorted; those so-called officers were probably KSA agents or something similar. Regardless, as long as they were safe, he was fine with it.

He had just replied back to Ik-han, assuring him that all was well with him, too, when his phone rang. Shinwoo didn't recognize the number, narrowing his eyes at the phone. This seemed familiar, somehow. Before M-21 could demand to have it, he answered, putting the phone up to his ear. "Han Shinwoo here," he said.

The person on the other end didn't say anything for a long moment, and Shinwoo wondered if perhaps it was a prank call. If so, the jerk had terrible timing, and if Shinwoo ever found out who it was, he was going to kick their ass. Then they spoke, and Shinwoo found himself wishing it was a prank instead.

"You're very good at dodging," the distinctly male voice stated. "Consider that little skirmish a warning. We'd like to discuss a business deal with you. There will, of course, be payment, in the form of your friends' lives. So, how about it? Do we have a deal?"

Shinwoo's first instinct was to say 'fuck no' and hang up the phone, but he really didn't want to see if they'd call his bluff. Instead, he answered slowly. "What sort of deal? And why me? Surely one of the others would be more…suited to the job?" Not that he wanted any of them to be blackmailed, either, but really, what could he do that the modified humans and Nobles could not?

The man on the other end chuckled. "Simple. Because they would refuse. They would accept their own death, and the death of the others. You, on the hand, might be persuaded." Shinwoo could feel himself flushing with anger. Just what sort of person did this guy take him for? Did he really think he'd do something that the others would find morally objectionable? Unfortunately, the answer was probably yes. Even if they were willing to give up their lives, he wasn't going to be the one to make that decision, and they both knew it.

"The blond man, Frankenstein," the man continued, and he suddenly had Shinwoo's full attention. If they wanted Frankenstein, then that meant that they didn't have him. Shinwoo could only think of that as a good thing. "He should have journals somewhere. Several of them, probably several hundred years old. Get them for us, and in exchange, we will return your companions to you, alive. We've given the first one back as an act of good faith, but the rest won't be so easy."

Shinwoo barely held back a furious retort; how was giving him back M-21 and then making the other man attack him an act of good faith? Were they insane? Never mind, scratch that. Of course they were. Did they really think they could hold _Rai_ hostage and get away with it? Then again, they had never stated how many of his friends they had. A sudden thought occurred to Shinwoo, and he found himself relaxing slightly. Things might not be as bad as he had feared.

"All right. Fine. I'll get them. How do I contact you?" M-21 was staring at him like he was insane, but Shinwoo held up a hand, asking the other man to trust him. M-21 didn't look happy, but he didn't seem like he was about to snatch the phone from Shinwoo, either. He'd take what he could get.

"There's no need for you to concern yourself with that. We'll contact you when we've confirmed that you have possession of the journals. And Han Shinwoo? Don't dally, or there's no telling what shape they'll be in when we return them." With that last threat, the phone call was disconnected. Shinwoo put the phone back in his pocket and walked past M-21.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" he demanded impatiently. "Aren't we going to Principal Lee's place?" He had a sneaking suspicion of how, exactly, they were planning on keeping tabs on him, but he sure as hell wasn't about to let on. M-21 probably knew as well, but as long as they didn't discuss it, they could pretend that things were mostly normal. After all, they were just a stupid human and experimental trash, right?

M-21 keyed in the code to the house, and the two men walked in. Shinwoo hummed under his breath, thinking. If Frankenstein _did_ keep journals somewhere, the most likely place would probably be in the sealed room behind the lab. They could also be in any one of the locked rooms, or even hidden in plain view in one of the house owner's libraries. Since these guys obviously wanted those journals, badly, Shinwoo found himself wondering what sort of information they contained.

Behind him, M-21 remained silent, brooding. Shinwoo didn't bother him; there was no need to draw the other man's attention. He wondered if M-21 was still feeling guilty about attacking him, even though he hadn't been hurt. Or maybe he was just angry that someone else had been controlling him. It was obvious that the other man relished in his freedom, even if he didn't express it most of the time. He was used to this way of life now, and Shinwoo was happy for him.

"Where are you going?" M-21's voice sounded right behind him, and Shinwoo winced. So much for not drawing the other man's attention. "Are you actually planning on giving the enemy what they want? Do you have any idea what could be in those journals, if they even still exist?"

Shinwoo turned and glared at him, hands on his hips. "And what would you rather I do, Ahjussi? Let them kill Takeo and Tao? You want to lose them, too?" He snorted. "What happens then, huh? Takeo and Tao will die because of me. Wasn't once enough?" M-21 visibly recoiled from the verbal strike, and Shinwoo fought not to apologize. Reminding the other man about his best friend, who had died protecting Shinwoo, Ik-han, and Yuna, was a low blow, and they both knew it.

Whirling on his heels, Shinwoo stalked off, heading back to the basement and the laboratory there. He'd start with the locked room, and if it wasn't in there, he'd work his way through the house. This time, M-21 didn't follow him right away, and Shinwoo took the small reprieve to send another text. He couldn't be sure that his hunch was right, but one thing was for certain; they didn't have Frankenstein yet. So he'd just have to hope that the blond got his message soon and returned in time to stop him from doing something seriously stupid.

Footsteps behind him, and Shinwoo glanced back to see M-21 heading towards him, as expressionless as ever. Shinwoo grimaced, but didn't apologize. It would only insult the other man, and he needed M-21's help to get into the lab again.

He waited for M-21 to catch up to him, then fell into step beside him. The older man glanced at him, but didn't protest. "What are you planning to do?" he asked instead. Shinwoo just rolled his eyes at him. What did M-21 _think_ he was going to do? He was going to look for those journals. Maybe they weren't here, and maybe they were, but it was the only place he could think of to start looking. Shinwoo sighed; gathering information about ancient journals was not exactly his strong point.

Stopping in front of the laboratory doors, Shinwoo waited, looking at his companion expectantly. M-21 looked at the locked door, then looked at him, then back to the door again, his brow furrowed. "I don't know the code," he admitted. "The door is left unlocked when he is home, and I have never had any need to get in otherwise."

Shinwoo pulled back his foot and slammed it into the door. It echoed with a loud boom down the hallway, but didn't move. He glared up at the other man. "If you can't unlock with a code, then open it with your claws. Blondie's ignoring me, so he can damn well deal with the consequences." M-21's eyes flashed with surprise at the insult, but Shinwoo ignored it. The modified human wasn't the only capable of name-calling, and if Frankenstein was going to just disappear on him with orders to "stay here", then Shinwoo was going to do what he had to do.

The other two men were going to owe him massively for this one, he thought gleefully, watching as M-21's hands and arms transformed. The shift intrigued him every time, and he wondered if the other man could turn into a full wolf. Maybe he'd ask him. Later. He watched as M-21 backed up down the hallway, and frowned. What was he doing?

Silver eyes glanced his way, then the other man charged at the sliding doors. Halfway there, he leapt into the air, and Shinwoo dodged, cursing. A little more warning would have been nice! He covered his ears as M-21's claws sliced through the doors with a horrible screeching racket, his own weight and gravity giving him more strength as he cut diagonally from the upper right to the lower left of the doors.

At first, nothing happened, but then with the wrench of steel, the bottom triangle of the door fell to the ground with a loud clatter, the concussion forcing Shinwoo to regain his balance as the floor vibrated upon contact. Shinwoo gave a low whistle looking at the damage. "Oh, he's going to hate that, isn't he? What a mess," he grinned. M-21 just gave him a dark look, which Shinwoo happily ignored. _He_ hadn't been the one to cut through the doors, after all. Jumping lightly on top of the pile of scrap, the teenager leapt down into the lab, M-21 right behind him.

Shinwoo didn't waste time looking around, heading straight for the door that he hadn't been able to get through earlier. Reaching out, he touched the handles once more, and got the same shocking jolt that left his hands and arms tingling with the aftershocks. "Dammit," he muttered. "Just let me in, would you?" He went to try again, but both of his wrists were grabbed from behind, and Shinwoo froze. He hadn't felt M-21 coming up behind him.

"What are you trying to do?" M-21 asked him, his voice a low growl as gripped Shinwoo's wrists firmly. "I don't know what's in there, but it's not safe for you, whatever it is." He was staring at the door with something akin to foreboding, but Shinwoo ignored it. If Frankenstein wanted it hidden that badly, then surely there was something special inside? Like maybe journals?

Throwing his body backwards into M-21, Shinwoo felt the other man's grip loosen slightly as he braced them both from toppling to the floor. Before M-21 could grab him again, he gripped the door handles and yanked, his sneakers sliding on the floor as the shock traveled through him again. "Dammit! Just open up!" he muttered, his hands going numb and slipping from the handles again. Shit.

Shinwoo flexed his fingers for a moment, then raised his hand and slammed it against the door. Ignoring M-21's protest, he did it again. And again and again. When that didn't work, he used his feet, but the door just stood there, as pristine and undamaged as ever. Curling his hands into fists, Shinwoo threw everything he had at the door. He heard bones cracking as blinding pain shot the whole way up his arm. He pulled back to cradle his hand, blood streaming down from where the knuckles had been split open against the door.

M-21 was holding him, bringing them both to the floor and grabbing his hand, wincing as he examined the damage done. Shinwoo wouldn't heal like the rest of them did. He'd probably end up in a cast. "What the hell were you thinking?" he growled, his silver eyes dark with anger and worry. "That door doesn't open that way. It's something that he set up, so what makes you think that someone like you or me can open it?"

Shinwoo blinked the tears out of his eyes, and opened his mouth to make a snappy comeback. But M-21 wasn't looking at him anymore, his eyes staring instead over his shoulder. Shinwoo could hear it now, a low dripping sound, like pooling liquid. Whirling around, his hand still in M-21's grip, he watched in shock as the blood he gotten on the door moved, slithering into the shallow designs on the door. There seemed to be a lot more blood than what he had lost, but he didn't really pay attention, wincing as the door flashed with a brilliant red light and then dimmed again.

Shinwoo and M-21 shared a look, and the older man let Shinwoo stand, but moved to stand in front of him. Shinwoo didn't protest, still staring at the door and wondering what the hell had just happened. M-21 reached for the door, gripping the handle, but it didn't budge. Instead, Shinwoo heard the shock and watched as M-21 yanked his hand back, the palm burned and curled in on itself. He stared at the wound, then back at the door. It hadn't done that to _him_.

"Han Shinwoo, don't you dare!" M-21 snapped, grabbing his wrist. Shinwoo turned to look at him, but M-21 didn't look like he was going to back down. Shinwoo thought quickly; what could he say to make the other man agree to let him try?

He decided to just start talking, and see if it worked. If not, he'd try again later, when M-21 wasn't looking. "Look, whatever it just did, it used my blood to do it. Maybe it burned you because you're not me. Let me try. I think it'll work now." M-21 didn't budge, and Shinwoo sighed in frustration. "If it doesn't work, I'll stop, okay Ahjussi? I won't try and get in here anymore." _Today_, he added silently in his head.

It was obvious that the modified human had no intention of letting him go and risking him getting burned, so Shinwoo went on the offensive and kicked out with his leg. M-21 could have dodged it easily, even in such close quarters, but that would have required him to let go of the redhead. So Shinwoo's foot connected with the side of his calf. His other leg kept him from hitting the floor, and his grip tightened, but no claws yet. Undeterred, Shinwoo threw himself backwards, into the door, bringing M-21 with him, the other man still slightly off-balance.

Shinwoo tensed, expecting to feel that sharp tingle again, but there was nothing. "Whoa!" he exclaimed as M-21 yanked him away from the door, bringing them both down to the floor, where he pinned the younger male beneath him, glaring down at him, only seconds away from baring his teeth in a snarl.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you want to get killed?" he practically yelled. Shinwoo blinked; the other man had never shown that much emotion before. He had shown concern in little ways, sure, and anger in the clenching of his fist or jaw, but nothing so blatantly obvious as this.

Shinwoo smiled. "I really scared Ahjussi, huh?" he asked, and his voice was gentle. M-21 glared down at him, but didn't answer, so Shinwoo took that as confirmation. "I'm really sorry, Ahjussi, but if there's anything I can do, I have to try. You'd do the same, wouldn't you? Not just you…but everyone. You've all sacrificed so much for us, and we've done nothing in return." He was serious now, and M-21 was listening. "The door…it didn't hurt me," he said. "There was no shock or anything."

M-21 stared down at him for a moment, then turned his head to look at the door contemplatively. Shinwoo held his breath, waiting for the other man to make a decision. At last, M-21 stood up, offering Shinwoo his uninjured hand. The redhead took it gratefully and allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet. "We don't do anything expecting repayment for it," he said. Shinwoo nodded; he knew that, too. "You may try, once. If it shocks you, we're done. The others wouldn't want you to get hurt, either."

Shinwoo nodded. "Thanks," he said sincerely. Reaching forward, he held his breath as his fingers brushed the cold metal. Nothing happened, and he used both hands to grip the doors. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he yanked on the doors – and nearly toppled over backwards as the doors gave way without any resistance, opening silently.

Before he could say anything, M-21 was ahead of him and in the room. Nothing happened, and Shinwoo followed right behind him, staring around in shock. What was this place? At first, it seemed almost empty, the walls smooth and curved. The room was empty except for a singular oddity. There was a dais in the middle of the floor, shallow steps leading up to it. And at the top was…

"Is that a coffin?" Shinwoo breathed. M-21 answered in the affirmative, but Shinwoo wasn't paying attention, already heading for the steps. His companion sighed and followed him, and they stood before the white coffin, staring down at it. "Why is there a coffin here? What is this place?" Shinwoo asked, his fingers reaching out to brush gently over the smooth surface of the coffin.

M-21's answer wasn't wholly unexpected. "This must be the shrine that belongs to _him_," he replied, meaning Rai. "He told me that there was a sacred place in the house that wasn't as strong as the one in Lukedonia, but that could still help _him_." Shinwoo nodded, his head tilted to the side. Making a split-second decision, he crouched down and lifted the lid of the coffin, shoving it aside. The interior was empty, and Shinwoo sighed. So much for that theory.

He grinned up at M-21, who was staring at him in something akin to disbelief. "What? I thought maybe Rai was here! Wouldn't that have been something?" he asked. Of course, the question still remained. Where was Rai? Had he and the two silver-haired Nobles left on their own? And if so, why?

"Hmm…you don't think they went to go rescue you all, do you?" he asked, the thought only just now occurring to him. M-21 frowned, but shrugged, and Shinwoo agreed. With that guy, anything was possible. And there was no way that Seira and Regis would just let him wander off on his own, not when he might be forced to use his powers, draining his life in the process.

Standing, he and M-21 placed the lid back on the coffin carefully, then left the room. The door closed behind them, a line of red light crackling between the doors before they fell silent again. Curious, Shinwoo reached out and touched the handle, pulling back when he felt a familiar tingle. He didn't want to go through that again.

M-21 watched him, then turned and walked out of the room, heading back upstairs. Shinwoo followed, eyeing the various locked rooms as they walked past. One of them might have what he was looking for, but now wasn't the time. Even if he had wanted to explore, there was no way that M-21 was about to let him. Shinwoo knew the other man was completely aware of him, and so he followed him obediently.

Upstairs, M-21 bandaged his bloody hand, ignoring Shinwoo's winces and childish complaints, then set about preparing food for the two of them. The redhead tipped his head back and considered the other man, who was moving calmly around the kitchen. M-21 had always seemed to take the craziness in this house in stride, and Shinwoo found himself wondering if he would have reacted the same way. It was hard to believe that just last night, this man had been covered and blood and looking to be near-death. His healing rate must be more remarkable than Shinwoo had thought. Even his hand, which had just been burnt, was only slightly pink now, and didn't seem to be causing him any pain.

The other man caught him staring, but Shinwoo wasn't embarrassed. "I'm glad the Ahjussi heals so quickly," he said, grinning. M-21's lips twisted like he wasn't sure how he felt about that, but Shinwoo changed the topic quickly enough. "Is the ramen ready?" he asked, his eyes lighting up as he stood, moving into the kitchen to claim his bowl, which the older man handed to him wordlessly. It felt wrong, though, eating Ramen without Rai there, sitting patiently while waiting for it to 'grow', and the two men ate the food in silence. It was just the usual ramen, without all the special care that Frankenstein took in preparing his master's food, but neither of them really cared. Food was energy.

Glancing out the window, Shinwoo sighed. It was still only mid-morning. Wincing as he flexed his hand in its bandage, Shinwoo brought his dishes over to the sink. M-21 washed them, and then the two men just stared at each other for several moments. "I want to explore the locked rooms," Shinwoo said at last. M-21 hesitated for only a moment before agreeing, and the two men went off in search of a way to unlock the doors. After all, if they broke every door in the place, Frankenstein would kill them both.

An hour and a half later, they'd had no success. Neither of them was any good at picking locks, and damaging them wasn't an option. Shinwoo had grumbled that if they had keys, Frankenstein probably kept them on his person. M-21 had agreed.

Frustrated, Shinwoo was about to call it quits when his phone vibrated in his pocket. M-21 stopped next to him, and Shinwoo pulled out his phone. It was the same unfamiliar number that had called him before. M-21 held out his hand, and Shinwoo handed it over to him reluctantly, but when the older man went to take it, his hands transformed into claws, nicking Shinwoo's unharmed hand. They both pulled back, and M-21 stared at his transformed hand like it had betrayed him. And it very likely had.

The phone vibrated impatiently, and Shinwoo answered it, keeping an eye on his friend as well. "What part of this is your responsibility did you not understand?" the same voice as before asked him. He sounded amused, and Shinwoo could feel his jaw clenching in an effort to hold his tongue. He wanted to tell the man exactly what he thought of him, but M-21 was slowly backing away from him, as if afraid he might attack again, against his will, and so Shinwoo held his tongue. He didn't think M-21 would hurt him intentionally, and he rather suspected that the choppy movements had more to do with him trying to fight whoever was controlling him than anything else, but he didn't want to test it just yet. There was always later, if it came down to that.

"You aren't moving very quickly," the man on the other line decided. "It makes me wonder if you aren't, perhaps, stalling for time." That wasn't what Shinwoo was doing, but it wouldn't make any difference to tell their enemy that. He was going to believe what he was going to believe, and right now, Shinwoo was helpless to stop him. "Very well, then perhaps it is time for a demonstration after all. Take a look outside, won't you?"

Shinwoo's first instinct was to refuse, dread coiling low in his stomach, but he slowly edged up to the nearest window and peered out. Behind him, M-21 shuffled uneasily, as if he was afraid to come any closer. He probably was, because any closer and Shinwoo wouldn't have time to dodge a well-aimed attack. Scanning the street, trusting that M-21 would fight it if he was instructed to attack him, Shinwoo looked for something out of place. There was nothing that he could see, but Shinwoo had the feeling that there was something he was missing.

Ah, there! Just a flicker of movement, the flash of a pale face, dark eyes and hair again. Shit. So they did know about this place. "My comrade there just left you a little gift. Be sure to retrieve it now, won't you? And quickly, because you must resume the hunt. If the books are not there, then you must find where they are, or your friends' lives are forfeit." Without waiting for a response, or to see if Shinwoo would do as he'd ordered, he disconnected.

Shinwoo felt M-21 moving back up the hallway, and looked back at him. "Where are you going?" he asked, walking up behind the other man.

M-21 shrugged. "I'm going to go see what they left us. I don't want you going out there by yourself. Though it might be more dangerous to have me along," he added bitterly. Shinwoo didn't know what he could say to make this better, so he just clasped M-21's shoulder firmly and gave it a light squeeze before moving up to walk next to him, easily within attacking distance. M-21 eyed him warily, his whole body tense, but Shinwoo ignored it. The enemy needed him in one piece to find the journals, which meant that they couldn't just kill him, or otherwise render him unable to search.

Stepping outside, Shinwoo looked around, but he didn't see any sign of the enemy. Then again, he wasn't supposed to, was he? M-21 slipped out the front gate and looked around carefully, scanning the street and rooftops. Satisfied, he gestured for Shinwoo to come out. The redhead did so, trying to figure out where the "gift" had been left. Deciding the most obvious place was the mailbox, Shinwoo opened it. Inside was a small package, crudely wrapped.

M-21 gripped his wrist when he went to grab the package. Shinwoo scowled unhappily, but allowed the older man to pick up the package. Nothing untoward happened, and they brought it back inside. Without exchanging a word, the two men brought the package back outside, onto the balcony, before opening it. The contents scattered, and Shinwoo froze, his face paling. He felt sick, staring at the images of Takeo and Tao. Takeo looked like he'd been tortured, cuts and bruises and welts covering his naked body. His hair was matted and tangled, and he was chained flat to a metal table.

Tao was encased in a large glass tube filled with a green liquid. He appeared unharmed, but his face was a picture of agony, even as he appeared unconscious. Whatever was in that liquid was obviously hurting him. There were other pictures, of the two men chained to a wall, or attached by wires to various instruments.

His hands shaking, Shinwoo reached for the pictures. M-21 didn't stop him, his eyes flashing with terror and his breathing coming in sharp gasps, as if he couldn't get enough air. And maybe he couldn't. After all, M-21 was more likely to know what was happening to the other two humans than Shinwoo, who had only heard vague references to the human experimentation that had taken place against their will.

Shuffling through them, occasionally dropping one, Shinwoo didn't stop until he reached a certain set of pictures. There was M-21, his eyes blank and confused. Across from him were Takeo and Tao, seemingly trying to reason with him. The next picture showed him attacking his comrades, while they dodged. Their enemies must have found a way to forcibly slow them down, or else threatened them with M-21's life – or perhaps even the children's lives – because the next few pictures showed M-21 tearing them up, claws leaving vicious gashes in their bodies.

Shinwoo swallowed hard, careful not to let the man sitting next to him see the pictures as he shoved them back into their wrapping. His hands were trembling as he realized just how serious these guys were. Still, they hadn't shown pictures of Rai, Seira, or Regis, so did that mean that they were okay? And if so, then where had they gone? Where the hell was Frankenstein?

Closing his eyes didn't help, as the images of his friends kept flashing through his mind. His eyes opened, and Shinwoo could feel himself growing angry. Good. Anger was preferable to fear. Anger led to action, to determination, and Shinwoo stood up. M-21 had pulled himself somewhat together, too, and Shinwoo was glad that he hadn't seen the images of himself attacking his defenseless comrades. They'd forgive him, he was sure of it, but the last thing he needed was M-21 running off on him out of a misdirected sense of guilt.

Not sure where to put the pictures, Shinwoo finally decided to put them in his room and hope that M-21 didn't ask about them again. He didn't to destroy them just yet, because he was determined that for every cut and scrape and bruise on his friends, for every minute of suffering, he would see the enemy pay. Preferably at his hands.

Heading back down the hallway, Shinwoo paused at the first locked door. Lifting his foot, he took careful aim, and lashed out, kicking the door in with everything he had. The wood snapped and cracked around the point of impact. One more kick, and the door shattered inwards. Reaching through what was left, Shinwoo unlocked the door from the inside and pushed it open.

Shinwoo had been right about one thing; this room was full of books. The scent of leather and old paper filled the room, and Shinwoo glanced back at M-21. "We're looking for journals written by Frankenstein. You've got better eyes than I do, so help me look." M-21 just nodded, moving over to the right half of the room. Shinwoo took the left.

Careful not to disturb the room more than necessary, Shinwoo and M-21 scoured the shelves and desks, looking for the journals. Deciding that they likely weren't in there, they moved on to the next room. This time, it was M-21 who broke through the door, punching his fist through the wood and opening the door from the inside. Shinwoo grinned; M-21's superior strength meant he could punch straight through the door, leaving a smaller hole than Shinwoo's kick had. Still, the doors were destroyed, and Frankenstein was going to be unhappy with them, to say the least.

Nine doors and twelve rooms later – some of them had two connected rooms – they gave up. The journals, if they were anywhere in the house, were well-hidden. Shinwoo's stomach rumbled, and while he didn't want to give up the search, he realized that he needed to figure out where to go next. "Ramen?" he asked his companion, who shrugged, then nodded. It was the only food they could both make easily. Actually, Shinwoo could cook, since he lived mostly on his own, but that would require time which they didn't have right now.

The two men brainstormed over a rushed dinner, but they couldn't come up with anything, and Shinwoo only grew more frustrated. M-21 couldn't help him, worried that he might end up attacking the other boy again, despite Shinwoo's reassurances that he wouldn't hurt him. After dinner, the older man excused himself, and Shinwoo watched him retreat, frowning.

Pulling out his phone, he texted his friends. They were still doing fine, and the officers would be leaving Monday morning if nothing happened before then. Good. At that time, they'd be back in school and he could watch over them himself. Still no word from Frankenstein, though, and that worried Shinwoo. The blond was usually meticulous when it came to answering texts and phone calls. He wouldn't just drop all contact like this unless he had no choice.

Tilting his head back against the back of the couch, Shinwoo closed his eyes, trying to force his body to relax. His injured hand throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and he rubbed it gingerly with his other hand. He spent the next two hours racking his brain, but realized that he really didn't know that much about Frankenstein. The man seemed to prefer to avoid Lukedonia, which meant that the books probably weren't there. They weren't here, in the house. At least not that Shinwoo had found. He didn't know about any of the man's other haunts. Except…

Shinwoo sat up, wondering why the hell he hadn't thought of that earlier. Of course! If the journals weren't here, then they were probably in the only other place that was safe. Ye Ran High!

Having made his decision, Shinwoo had no desire to waste any more time. But if he was going to break into the school at night on a weekend, he'd need M-21's help, so he made his way to the older man's room. Knocking on the door, he waited, but there was no answer. Wondering if perhaps the other man had fallen asleep, Shinwoo knocked on the door again, louder this time.

There was still no response, and Shinwoo tried the handle. It was unlocked, so he opened the door and walked in, glancing around the darkened room as he did so. He wasn't sure he had the right room at first, as this place had no personality whatsoever. It was like M-21 saw himself as a guest rather than a member of the family. But, most importantly, the room was empty. There was no sign of M-21 anywhere.

Shinwoo felt a breeze and turned to look at the only window in the room. It was wide open, the breeze flowing in and blowing the curtains into the room, bringing with it the scent of rain. It took a moment to sink in, but when it did, Shinwoo's legs gave out and he stared blankly ahead. M-21 was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Shinwoo didn't know how long he sat there, disbelief warring with the hope that perhaps M-21 had decided to do some searching on his own. But a part of him knew that wasn't the case. The enemy had taken him back. Whether it was because they had deemed him too hazardous to let free, or whether they were trying to make a point, it didn't matter. What mattered was that they had taken M-21 from him after only a single day. Now all three of the modified humans were missing again.

His phone vibrated, and Shinwoo fumbled for it with nerveless fingers, trying to force his brain to focus. There was a text message from Frankenstein. _I have retrieved Master and the children. I will be returning shortly. I do hope you have been behaving yourself. _There was no signature, but Shinwoo didn't need one. No one else talked like that when they were texting, or called Rai 'Master'.

He smiled, but it was bitter. Of course Frankenstein was on his way now, when it was too late. Because now Shinwoo knew why they had taken M-21. They were telling him to hurry up, before the blond returned and discovered what was going on. Because he would _know_; there would be no hiding it from him.

His eyes narrowed, Shinwoo typed back a quick reply, assuring Frankenstein that he was all right, but not promising more than that. Standing, he turned and left the room, walking down the hallway and slipping on his shoes before leaving the house, knowing exactly where he was heading.

Shinwoo didn't know how long, exactly, he ran for before reaching the school gates. His lungs burned as his chest heaved, trying to drag in much-needed air. His legs screamed at him for their mistreatment, wanting to collapse on him, but he ignored them, his will stronger. His bandaged hand throbbed and ached, but Shinwoo ignored that as well. Judging the gates height, Shinwoo took a few steps back, then ran up to the gate and leapt.

He didn't quite make it over, but he was able to grab onto the top of the spires and haul himself over the top, dropping carelessly to the other side, his balance a bit off as he tumbled sideways. Pushing himself back to his feet, Shinwoo trotted up to the front doors. "Sorry, Principal Lee," he muttered unrepentantly before pulling back and slamming his hand through the front door, glass shattering around him. A few pieces stuck in his flesh, cutting him, but Shinwoo didn't care.

No alarms went off, and Shinwoo was grateful for that. The last thing he needed was be pushed for time by the sounding of an alarm that would no doubt call local law enforcement. Using his hands and feet to widen the hole he'd made with his fist, Shinwoo ducked down and stepped into the empty school. It was a lot different at night, much darker. His footsteps echoed eerily as he walked, his path certain. There was only one place in this school that Frankenstein would hide anything, and that was in the Principal's office.

He didn't even hesitate when he found the office door locked. Three kicks and it wasn't an issue anymore. Forcing his way into the office, Shinwoo looked around, then decided he didn't care enough to worry about it. Getting his friends back was more important than not making a mess. Besides, it was sort of a moot point now, considering the trail of destruction he and M-21 had left behind them. The older man had been muttering something about it coming out of his salary, and Shinwoo would find some way to pay the blond back for the damage caused. But that was for later. Much later.

Moving quickly, but thoroughly, Shinwoo rifled through the Principal's bookshelves and paperwork. He didn't expect it to be that obvious, but knowing Frankenstein, he'd believe the perfect place to hide something so valuable would be in plain sight. When that was finished, he checked the desk drawers, and under the desk, looking for any hidden sections or buttons. The chair and floor got the same sort of intense inspection, as did the walls. Nothing.

Frustrated, Shinwoo tugged at his hair. He didn't have _time_ for this! If his enemies wanted the journals so badly, surely they must have some idea of where they were hidden, especially if they expected Shinwoo to be able to get hold of them! Where the hell else could Frankenstein have hidden something of such worth? Because Shinwoo might not know what was in them, but surely they were important. So where would he keep important documents?

Realization dawned slowly, and Shinwoo wanted to scream out his frustration. Instead, he just turned around and stalked back out of the building. His phone vibrated. Barely glancing at the number long enough to see that it was from an unknown, he picked it up. "Just cool it, okay?" he snapped. "I might know where they are. Just a little longer and you'll have them. Just make sure you keep your end of the bargain, all right?"

The man chuckled. "Very well, Han Shinwoo. Since you know where they are, you have exactly one hour to retrieve them and meet me at the abandoned construction site. Surely you know the one I speak of?" Shinwoo answered affirmatively; it was where he had first met M-21, after all. "Good. We eagerly await your arrival, then." The phone went dead, and Shinwoo swore. He had better be right about this, because an hour was barely enough time.

Forcing his legs to move faster, Shinwoo took off running, spurred on by adrenaline and an unwavering determination to not give up until he had M-21, Takeo, and Tao back. He could deal with everything else that came his way after that. Of course, there was always the risk that they'd try to renege, but Shinwoo was already forming a plan for such an occasion.

Back at Frankenstein's house, Shinwoo headed straight for the laboratory, and more importantly, for the shrine behind it. Since it was still broken, he had no trouble getting inside this time. Knowing what the shrine doors needed now, Shinwoo wasted no time in unwrapping his hand and slamming his fist against the door. The blood pooled and then spread out across the doors, weaving along the designs again, and with a brief flash of the red, the doors opened for him. Shinwoo stepped inside and headed straight for the dais, and the coffin resting at its summit.

The lid slid off easily, and Shinwoo found what he was looking for this time. There was a slender pocket sewn into the fabric underneath the lid, and Shinwoo slid his hand in, retrieving the slender books he found there. There were only four, but they had never specified how many. Just that there were several. And if there were more, then perhaps he could at least buy some time with these.

Pushing aside his curiosity about their contents, painfully aware that he was on a short leash, Shinwoo shoved the journals into his bag and left the shrine once more. This time, he didn't bother to replace the lid on the coffin. He wanted Frankenstein to know exactly what had happened while he'd been away, because it just might save them all.

Grabbing a few other necessities, Shinwoo was back outside ten minutes later, heading for the construction site. He had about eighteen minutes left, and it should only take him about eleven if he ran. With a sigh, the redhead slung his bag across his shoulder and took off again, his body not wanting to cooperate. If it came down to a fight, he was going to lose, badly. If they all managed to get out of this alive, he was never going to let the others live it down. Never.

When he arrived, he slowed, the eerie sensation of being watched making his skin prickle. He shifted uneasily, his eyes darting towards the shadows, but he saw nothing. These guys were great at hiding, as long as they weren't moving. Without even thinking about it, Shinwoo made his way to the same spot where he and his friends had been called out by M-21 and M-24 that first time, so that Shinwoo could battle for his life and the lives of his friends against the Infected. Of course, at the time, he'd had no clue what was going on, but knowing now didn't help him, either, other than to give him a general idea that what he was up against just might not be human.

A tall man stepped out of the shadow, and Shinwoo froze. He was huge! He towered over Shinwoo at nearly eight feet, and his body was just a wide wall of black. If Shinwoo had to fight him, he was in trouble. There was a shift at the big man's side, and Shinwoo risked a quick glance, his breath catching in his throat when he saw M-21 standing there, watching him. There was no recognition in his eyes, and Shinwoo realized that he must still be under their control.

"You have them?" the big man asked, and Shinwoo nodded dumbly, removing the four journals from his bag and showing them to the other man, who frowned. "There should be more than that," he said, and Shinwoo could hear the thread of anger in his voice.

He scowled up at the other man, refusing to be intimidated. "It's not like I had a whole lot of time. And you didn't tell me how many I was looking for, either. Several could be any number over two or three," he argued. Icy blue eyes narrowed at him in anger for a moment, and Shinwoo felt more than saw the movement behind him. Diving out of the way, he hit the pavement, rolling out of the way of the attack. His foot came up and caught the hand that was crashing down on him. His back skidded across the asphalt, but he ignored the tiny stinging sensation. He'd deal with it later.

"Really? You're going to let a teenager piss you off that badly?" he taunted, knowing that he might just make things worse. Then again, he doubted that the enemy planned on leaving him alive, so what did it matter if he died now or later? He shook his head, stopping that train of thought. He was doing this for a reason, and that was to get hold of the three modified humans that had become like a family to him. If he could somehow manage the decimation of his opponents while he was at it, he'd do it.

The big man made a sharp gesture, and Shinwoo's cloaked attacker backed off. Shinwoo shifted onto his knees for a moment, watching him warily. When no further attack was forthcoming, he stood up. "Now that we've established that you're so much bigger and badder than I am, how about we get down to business?" he said. "I have the journals. You have some of my friends." He didn't dare give a number, in case he was wrong. "Seems a bit uneven to me, personally."

"You don't seem to understand the situation you're in, boy," a female voice sounded to his right, and Shinwoo watched as a lady with long black hair and dark eyes set in a pale face walked to stand in front of him. Shinwoo recognized her as the one who had attacked him and Tao, and left those pictures for him and M-21 to see. He sensed power from her, more than from the big guy standing behind her, at any rate. So she was the brains of the outfit, huh?

Shinwoo met her eyes steadily, and she rewarded him with an approving smile. She snapped her fingers, and Takeo and Tao were suddenly there, on the street between Shinwoo and the large man. They were both covered, so it was impossible to tell the extent of their injuries, but it was definitely them. Shinwoo went to go to them, not sure what he'd do once he got there, but was stopped by a hand on his chest.

"The journals?" the lady asked expectantly, her nails digging lightly into his shirt. Shinwoo had the feeling that M-21 wasn't the only one could transform his hand into claws, and this close, she'd puncture his heart before he could move. Still, there was room for negotiation, and he knew it.

Ignoring her for a moment, he looked at his two companions, lying so still they might as well be dead, then up at the third, standing there like he wasn't aware of what was happening around him. "Are they alive?" he asked. And before she could answer, he swung his head around to meet her eyes again. "They don't look like they're breathing to me. If they're dead, I have no reason to do what you say."

The woman seemed to debate, and Shinwoo took his chance. Pulling a lighter out of his bag, he flicked it open, holding the flame directly under the journals. Immediately, one of them started to smolder, smoke curling around the edges as flames licked along the binder. They were made with old, dry parchment, after all.

The lady in front of him grabbed for him, but he shifted, throwing himself backwards. The extra airflow set the book ablaze, and Shinwoo dropped it to the ground, still holding the other three as well as the lighter. "Now, let's negotiate," he said, anger threading his own voice now as he watched the woman try to rescue the burning book. She put out the fire, but they both knew that several pages worth of notes were now completely ruined.

She glared at him, and he met her gaze steadily, refusing to show fear. If he hesitated for even a moment, he'd be dead, and the other three with him. The woman walked over to the prone men on the ground, and Shinwoo held his breath. Was she going to kill one of them for his defiance? Her leg pulled back, and she kicked Takeo, sending him flying straight towards Shinwoo.

The redhead braced himself for impact, but was still sent skidding back across the empty lot. Ignoring his protesting limbs, he checked that the other man was still breathing, and if he was a little frantic, that was understandable. Once he had confirmed that Takeo was alive and breathing, he tossed one of the journals her way. She caught it in mid-air and smiled at him. "I rather think this will work well. We have no use for a bunch of human-made toys." Shinwoo's eyes narrowed; where had he heard that phrase before? He couldn't remember, but it didn't matter.

"Now, toss me the second one, and I'll give this one back," she said, gesturing at Tao. Shinwoo shook his head.

"That's not how this works," he said. "I'll keep my word, and you know it, if you've been watching me like you say you have. I can't trust you to do the same." The woman just gave him an amused smile, and he knew why. He didn't really have a say in the matter, because she could just as easily kill both Tao and M-21, and the whole purpose of this endeavor would have been lost. Shinwoo tossed her the second journal.

The lady gestured at the big man, and he moved up next to her. Leaning down, he picked up Tao by the throat. Tao gave a low moan of pain, and Shinwoo watched warily as the man walked up to him. He dropped Tao at his feet, and then backhanded Shinwoo, who barely had enough time to bring his hands up to protect his face.

Shinwoo flew sideways into a brick wall, collapsing to the ground, dizzy and nearly blind from the blood dripping into his eyes. There was a presence in front of him, and he shifted, but he wasn't fast enough, and a hand caught him around the head, slamming him back into the wall and pinning him there. Shinwoo choked, feeling the blood sliding down his throat. His hands reached up and grabbed the large man's wrist, but he was too weak to do more, and he cursed his own helplessness. Now they were all going to die. He hadn't even been able to save one of them.

He could feel himself losing consciousness, and wasn't able to catch himself when he was suddenly dropped to the ground, collapsing as a dark power snapped around him. "What, exactly, do you think you're doing to my precious children?" Shinwoo felt his lips curl up in giddy relief; Frankenstein was here. Finally. "Oh? Are those my journals?" Oops. He had sort of forgotten about that.

Cracking open his eyes, Shinwoo forced his body to move, but couldn't do more than kneel before his head spun, threatening to knock him unconscious. He stilled for a moment, aware that a battle raged on around him. The shouts and concussions from conflicting powers were making the pounding in his head significantly worse. There was a warm body next to him, and Shinwoo flinched away, already bracing for an attack before he realized that he knew who it was. "Rai?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

A gentle hand touched his face, wiping away some of the blood, and Shinwoo could see Rai through the haze. "Shinwoo," the Noblesse murmured. Nothing else, but the redhead smiled; the other man was worried about him.

"I'm okay," he managed, coughing as more blood slid down his throat. "But Takeo and Tao are pretty bad off. And…where's M-21?" The last thing he remembered was that blank gaze staring at him as M-21 stood there, just watching the proceedings. Had he been forced to attack his comrades? Was he injured?

Rai patted his shoulder, then replied. "He will be fine. He is strong enough to resist mind control, and his enemies will die soon." With that last assurance, Rai was up and moving. Shinwoo dragged his heavy body over to Takeo and Tao, his hands searching for a pulse. Finding one, he sighed in relief; they weren't out of the woods yet, but as long as they were still alive and breathing, they had a good chance of surviving. Certainly a better chance than he did, at any rate.

The battle didn't take long once Rai stepped in, and Shinwoo allowed someone – Regis, he thought – to help him to his feet, where he swayed. He could hear voices talking, sounding worried, but the words weren't making sense anymore. He tried to take a step forward, but stumbled. Hands grabbed him again, keeping him from hitting the pavement, and then Regis was supporting his weight, helping to keep him mostly upright as they left the scene of the battle.

There was another voice, deeper, on his other side, and Shinwoo was forced to stop when Regis did, unsteady on his feet. He was lifted into strong arms, and realized that M-21 must be the one carrying him. Neither of the other two enhanced humans were in any sort of shape to be doing something like this, and Rai would never even think of it. Frankenstein was no doubt hovering over his master, and Regis and Seira were probably walking a step behind Rai, having rid themselves of their burden. There were others around him, and Shinwoo assumed that they were either Nobles or members of the KSA. He didn't really care right now, though.

Shinwoo was embarrassed, but didn't have the energy to protest, so he just covered his eyes with his arm, almost wishing somebody would just kill him. How humiliating, to be carried like this by the other man. If his friends were here, they'd never let him live it down. Then again, weren't the people surrounding him now his friends? And yet, all he sensed from them was concern, and anger, though it didn't seem to be directed at him.

He didn't know how long they walked for before they reached Frankenstein's house. Everything was normal until they stepped inside. Shinwoo's dizziness was slowly receding, and he moved his arm to peer at the blond man. Frankenstein's eyebrows were twitching, and Shinwoo grimaced. Oh, yeah. The house was kind of a mess, wasn't it? Not to mention the school.

But Frankenstein didn't say anything, simply ordering that they all be taken down to the lab. Shinwoo frowned; why would they be taking him down there? Surely he just needed to be bandaged and left alone to rest. He could understand Takeo and Tao going down there, since they probably required different treatment, being enhanced humans and all.

He swallowed. "Why me?" he asked, his voice rasping in his throat, making him wince. Frankenstein glanced back at him, but didn't answer. Neither Regis nor Shinwoo would look at him, and Rai was a silent as ever. Takeo and Tao were barely conscious, and probably had no more idea what was going on than he did. Which only left one other person.

Shinwoo turned to look up at M-21, who was watching him, looking terribly sad and guilty. "Ahjussi?" Shinwoo asked. "What's wrong? Why am I being brought to the lab?" He was starting to get scared now. M-21 just held him tighter, and Shinwoo tried not to panic. What was wrong with him that they were acting this way? Had more damage been done than he'd thought? He didn't _feel_ like anything was damaged inside, except maybe a couple of ribs, but maybe he was in shock?

He could feel himself starting to hyperventilate, his breaths coming in short gasps as his head spun, protesting the lack of oxygen. M-21 saw this, and hurried to reassure him. "It's nothing serious, Shinwoo," he said, and his eyes were sincere. Shinwoo stared at him, waiting, his heart thundering in his ears and making it difficult to hear. "It's just that Frankenstein can help you heal more quickly in the lab than he can up here. Besides, we all have to go down there anyhow, and it's faster to just bring you with us."

Shinwoo forcibly calmed himself, only now realizing that he was cold. His body started shivering, and once it started, he couldn't seem to stop it. There was a tingle against his skin, and Shinwoo felt the sharp prick of claws. But more importantly, there was the warmth of fur pressing up against him as he trembled. Letting his head drop back down, Shinwoo didn't move until he was set on a table in the lab, noting absent-mindedly that the metal was surprisingly warm, given its purpose.

Frankenstein stood over him, a needle in his hand. "I'm sorry, Shinwoo, but we're going to have to sedate you so we can check you over properly. I'd prefer if you weren't awake for this." Shinwoo nodded; he trusted the blond. He was rewarded with a gentle, affectionate smile as the needle slipped painlessly into his arm. "We'll discuss the damage to the house later, okay?" Shinwoo was glad the drug worked fast; he was unconscious before he could apologize.


	7. Chapter 7

Shinwoo woke up with a groan. Shit. His body felt like he'd been run over by a bus, and his head was pounding, like somebody was hitting it repeatedly with a hammer. His eyes cracked open. Noticing that the room was only very dimly lit, he opened them the rest of the way, shifting. Ow. Everything hurt, and Shinwoo gave up moving for the moment, turning his head to look beside him. There was nothing to his right except machines and an IV that was dripping some sort of fluid into his arm. On his left sat M-21, watching him silently while he got his bearings. Behind him were two empty tables, and Shinwoo realized that Takeo and Tao must've been healed and released already.

"How long was I out?" he asked, the words rough in his throat. He started coughing, forcing his body onto an elbow as he heaved. He dropped back to the bed when he was finished, noticing how parched his throat was. Arms grabbed him gently and helped him to sit up, and then M-21 handed him a bottle of water with a straw in it. Shinwoo grinned at that and took a few careful sips, the cool liquid soothing his mouth and throat.

When he pulled away, M-21 answered him. "Nearly seven days," he said. "It's Saturday morning." Shinwoo stared at him in disbelief, and he shrugged. "We were all worried about you. Even with the injuries you'd sustained, it shouldn't have taken you that long to regain consciousness. Frankenstein ran some tests, but told us you'd be fine and would wake up on your own, eventually."

Shinwoo frowned; what sort of tests? What had Frankenstein been looking for? Before he could ask, the doors to the lab swished open, and the blond walked in, followed by some very welcome faces. "Takeo, Tao!" Shinwoo greeted happily. The two men realized he was awake and rushed over to his bedside. Tao held his right hand in both of his, and Takeo patted his leg, a bit awkwardly.

"You're awake!" Tao stated the obvious, and Shinwoo just grinned. "Well, I mean, we were really worried about you! Are you okay? How're you feeling? The boss said you'd be fine, but it took so long for you to wake up, so we were really, really scared. M-21 was the most worried of all of us, you know!" He would have continued, except that Takeo put a hand over his mouth, silencing him. Tao gave them both a sheepish grin, but settled down, still holding Shinwoo's hand. Shinwoo found that he didn't mind.

Frankenstein checked one of the machines hooked up to him, then nodded. "Good, it looks like you've made a full recovery. You might want to be careful with those ribs for a few weeks yet, but your superficial wounds are healing, and there was no brain damage, so you should be fine to go back to school as early as next week." Shinwoo nodded, relieved. He had been worried when he'd found out that he'd been unconscious for five whole days.

Frankenstein checked him over one more time, detached him from the various machines and the IV, and left the room, urging him to get some sleep. Tao and Takeo gave their goodbyes as well, and told M-21 to make sure his charge didn't do something stupid, and then they were gone again. Shinwoo just watched them leave, then asked, "Since when did I become your responsibility?"

M-21 shrugged. "I…did not wish to leave you while you were unconscious. The few times I did, Takeo or Tao stayed here with you. And you know how Tao is." Shinwoo nodded; yeah, he did. Tao would have taken M-21's protective concern as an excuse to decide that the redhead was obviously under M-21's care, regardless of what the man himself might have to say about it.

Shinwoo bowed his head. "I'm sorry," he said. M-21 just looked at him curiously, so he explained. "I didn't know what to do. I couldn't save anybody, and they got the journals." Four of them, at least.

"Ah," M-21 said. "They didn't, so you don't have to worry about that." Shinwoo looked up at him sharply, and he smiled, showing teeth. "The one you burned was beyond saving. One was still on your person, so Frankenstein has it back. And the other two were destroyed along with the enemy in _his_ blood field. Frankenstein has the data that was in those books elsewhere, just in case something like this ever happened, so you needn't worry on that front, either."

Shinwoo relaxed; so it hadn't been a wasted effort after all. Good. Feeling tired again, he yawned. M-21 just helped him to lie back down and tucked the covers around him. Shinwoo realized that there was padding under his back as well, instead of metal, but he didn't think too much about it. Seven days was a long time, and now it seemed like he'd be sleeping some more. He didn't even have the energy to say anything before he dozed off, comforted by M-21's presence.

When he next awoke, it was to Frankenstein standing over his bed, watching him carefully. Shinwoo frowned, shifting until he could sit up, surprised at how little effort it took this time. Even though it felt like he had only been asleep for a short while, perhaps it had been longer than he'd thought? Frankenstein smiled at him knowingly. "You're feeling better now." It wasn't a question, but Shinwoo nodded anyhow.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks," he said. Frankenstein just nodded in acknowledgment, then wrote something on his clipboard. Shinwoo didn't ask. "How's Rai doing?" he asked. He had been told that Rai used up his life force when he used his powers, and that he was already severely weakened from whatever had put him to sleep more than 820 years ago.

Frankenstein smiled. "He is hibernating at the moment, and he is recovering remarkably quickly, given the short amount of time he's been in there. Only about four days now," he said. "Thanks to you, I believe." Shinwoo started, then stared up at him uncomprehendingly. He hadn't done anything, except get himself into trouble and force Rai to use his powers.

The other man saw his confusion and decided to explain, removing his glasses and tucking them into his lab coat. "You used your own blood to open the shrine, correct?" he asked. Shinwoo nodded; he had, though it had been an accident. At least, the first time had been an accident. "Master lived alone for a long time. The other clan leaders both respected and feared him. I was the only one to care about his well-being, and I do not know how long he was alone before I came along." Shinwoo sensed a deeper story there, but didn't want to get sidetracked, so he kept quiet.

"But as you've seen, I'm not a normal human. My protection can do nothing for him anymore. Even though I was able to create the shrine, with Master's help, I was unable to make it any stronger, regardless of my desire to protect him. You, on the other hand, have a desire to protect everyone, not just Master. It makes you special, I suppose. Master is recovering much faster now than he had before, though it still won't be nearly enough, as he refuses to rest for more than a few days, lest everything change again while he's asleep."

Shinwoo heard the unspoken words and said them out loud. "You mean he's afraid that we'll all be gone, right?" Frankenstein answered him in the affirmative, and he sighed, turning to swing his feet off the edge of the table. The blond just stepped back and let him test his footing. Once he was certain he wouldn't fall flat on his face as soon as he tried to move, Shinwoo let go of the bed and asked his next question. "So he's really recovering? You're not just saying that, right?" Because if he was lying, Shinwoo was going to be seriously worried. Frankenstein didn't lie, ever. If he was now, then it was because there was no way Rai was going to recover.

"Yes. Although," Frankenstein frowned, "he was recovering even before that. Right before he used his power to end the fight, I felt it, like he had grown stronger, just for a moment." He looked at Shinwoo sharply. "You wouldn't know why that is, would you?" Shinwoo shook his head; how was he supposed to know? He hadn't even been aware of the fight progressing. All he could remember was getting the crap beat out of him, and then Rai had been there, rubbing the blood away from his face.

Shinwoo touched his face just above his eye, where Rai had cleaned the blood off of him. The gesture must have meant something to Frankenstein, because he nodded, his expression clearing. "I see. I've never even considered what might happen if Master tried to awaken a normal human." Shinwoo blinked at him. Awaken? What the hell was he talking about now? But Frankenstein was ignoring him, muttering under his breath as he jotted some notes on his clipboard. Shinwoo decided to let it drop; pushing the man only ever made him clam up even tighter. He'd get his answers eventually.

Frankenstein cleared him to leave the laboratory, with an admonition to take it easy for a while, and then walked to the back of the room. The doors to Rai's room opened without further prompting, and the blond man disappeared inside. Shinwoo snorted; of course they'd open for the other man, without him having to beat his hands bloody.

Leaving the lab, Shinwoo headed upstairs. He could hear the low murmur of conversation before he arrived, and he slowed at the entrance to the living room, taking in the scene before him. Everybody was there, and the main topic of conversation seemed to be him and Rai. Tao was reassuring the girls that they'd both be fine, that there had just been an accident, but that they were recovering quickly. Shinwoo grimaced; it would have made more sense if he'd been in the hospital, instead of down in the basement.

Deciding that he might as well reassure them himself, Shinwoo stepped into the room, slipping noiselessly behind his friends. M-21 was in the corner, watching him, but kept his mouth shut, and Shinwoo grinned. Wrapping his arms around Ik-han, he ruffled his hair. "Who's causing trouble now?" he exclaimed. Ik-han jumped and yelled, and Shinwoo laughed. He only had a moment before the wind was knocked out of him by Yuna and Suyi, who were only seconds away from bursting into tears.

It took him a good ten minutes to calm them down and assure him that yes, he was perfectly fine. There was no permanent damage, and he wasn't in the hospital because his injuries hadn't been bad enough to require a hospital stay. They had allowed him to leave as long as he promised to rest and take his medications. He was at the Principal's place because the blond hadn't wanted to leave him alone, and he had been mostly sleeping, so he needed somebody to wake him up to eat, right?

His friends bought his story, and Shinwoo was grateful. It was even mostly true. The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur, and Shinwoo tried not to think hard about Rai's absence. Frankenstein showed up at some point, and that helped – he wouldn't have left Rai if he thought the Noblesse was in any immediate danger.

When his friends got up to leave, Shinwoo left with them. He felt eyes watching him and knew that the others wouldn't be far behind. Seira stood up as well, and Regis with her. "Do you have shopping to do?" Yuna asked. Seira nodded, and she smiled. "Then we'll walk with you to the store!" Seira dipped her head in thanks, and the six of them the Principal's house.

"Man, you should've seen it!" Ik-han was saying, and Shinwoo looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Those officers that the Principal called were really something! As soon as we heard the explosion, they were off and running. They didn't even bother to take their cars with them. I've never seen anybody run that fast before in my life!" Yuna and Suyi nodded in agreement; Regis scowled, and Shinwoo had to agree. If they were KSA agents or the like, they should have had better training than that.

He grinned. "Yeah? You sure about that? 'Cause I'm pretty sure I can outrun all of them!" At the very least, he was certain he could at least give them a run for their money. This distracted the others, and they spent the remainder of their time cheerfully dissing his seemingly non-existent athletic skills. Shinwoo didn't mind, just as cheerfully pointing out that they weren't any better than he was.

Seira and Regis split off at the corner, heading for the grocery store, while the remaining four headed to their respective houses. Shinwoo couldn't feel them, but he was sure the others were nearby. And even if they weren't, he was relatively certain that the attackers would take a while to regroup, if there were actually any more of them. Maybe they were all destroyed in the battle.

Nothing untoward happened, and Shinwoo debated heading home, but decided not to. His parents weren't home, after all. Suyi and Yuna's mothers were both home, and Ik-han's uncle was visiting with his father, so Shinwoo headed back the way he'd come. He met Seira and Regis at the corner of the shopping district and gallantly offered to take Seira's bags. She allowed him to do so, and Shinwoo shot a quick grin at Regis, who just rolled his eyes. It was good seeing the younger Noble loosen up a bit. He had been so uptight and proper when he's first arrived.

Now that he finally had the two of them alone, he took the opportunity to ask the question that had been pressing on his mind all evening. "Where were you guys?" he asked. "I mean, when Frankenstein and I came back after Ahjussi and the Hyungs disappeared, you were gone. I thought Frankenstein was going to lose it."

"We were summoned back to Lukedonia." Seira was the one who answered him, her voice calm. "Rajak-nim brought the message; we could not refuse. If we had realized what was happening, I am certain that Raizel-nim would have refused the summons."

Shinwoo eyed her, but let it go. It was obvious that she didn't intend to tell him _why_ the Lord had called them. He supposed he should be grateful to have gotten that much out of the Nobles. He noticed that Regis was watching him carefully, and decided to call him out on it. "What?" he asked. "Do I have something on my face? Because if I do, it would've been nice of you to tell me earlier, you know."

The shorter boy just snorted and shook his head. "Never mind. It's not important." Shinwoo shrugged; well, all right, then. Movement to his right, and M-21 was suddenly there, walking casually beside him. Seira and Regis politely moved up ahead, leaving the two males to stroll along leisurely. Shinwoo stretched his arms above his head, exhilarating in the painless movement.

"Rai did something to me," he confessed. M-21 looked at him askance, and he shrugged. "What's an awakening?" M-21 froze for a moment, staring at him in surprise. Shinwoo blinked. "That bad, huh?" He had been afraid of that; that 'awakening' him had somehow caused Rai to grow weaker. "But Frankenstein said that Rai is recovering faster than he normally does," he frowned.

M-21 shook his head. "That shouldn't be possible," he replied. "Awakening someone takes a lot of power, and it only works if they have enough power to start with. For me, it helped my body to stabilize by waking up the dormant werewolf heart. It gave me a great deal of power. I had asked, once, for him to awaken M-24, but when I realized that it would hurt him, I dropped it. So I don't know what it was that he did, but it can't have been an awakening. You don't feel any different, do you?"

Shinwoo shook his head. "I feel fine, although I didn't think I could get better this quickly. Maybe the damage wasn't as bad as I thought. Technically, that big jerk only got in two shots." One to knock him into the wall, and the other to bash his head against that same wall. So yeah, two hits. "But when Frankenstein asked what happened, he seemed to think that Rai tried to awaken me. But from what you're saying, and from what Frankenstein said, that shouldn't be possible. So maybe he really did just wipe the blood away."

M-21 frowned. "Frankenstein suggested that it might have been an awakening?" Shinwoo nodded. "Then I'm not certain. He hasn't been wrong yet," he admitted, grimacing. Shinwoo grinned; he had the feeling that M-21 sometimes wished the blond would be wrong. If nothing else, it would make him more human. Although, come to think of it…

"He knew they were after me," Shinwoo murmured to himself. M-21 heard him and gave him a sharp glance, but didn't pry. Looking up, he realized that the two of them had caught up with Regis and Seira, who were very carefully not looking at them. Such polite Nobles.

They arrived back at Frankenstein's house to see the blond waiting for them. As soon as they walked in the door, Frankenstein pulled M-21 to the side. Shinwoo followed Seira and Regis to the living room where Rai sat, and Shinwoo felt muscles relax that he hadn't even realized had been tensed up. If Rai was up here, then either Frankenstein felt it was safe to wake him, or he had insisted. The latter was the more likely scenario, but Shinwoo was glad to see him either way.

Settling himself next to Rai, Shinwoo openly studied the dark-haired man. Rai was sipping tea as usual, seemingly unaware of his presence. "What happens when you awaken a normal human?" he blurted out at last. If he had thought the room was quiet before, it was dead silent now. Shinwoo realized he may have overstepped, but he had never been one to back down, and so he waited, making it obvious that he expected an answer.

Rai turned to look at him, dark lashes sliding over crimson eyes as he blinked. "I did not Awaken you," he responded at last. "Rather, the reverse happened, and for that, I apologize." He dipped his head, and Shinwoo frowned. Okay, so Rai hadn't awakened him. That was good. But judging by what he was saying, that only left one conclusion.

"I awakened you?" he asked, frowning. Rai's lips twisted, and Shinwoo realized with a start that the Noblesse was amused. "What? You just said that the opposite happened, didn't you?"

Rai nodded, considering for a moment. "I did," he acknowledged. "But that is not what I meant. Rather than making you stronger, the opposite happened. I did not require much rest afterwards, because my state was improving before I ever went to battle. I do not understand how, or why, it happened, only that it did. But the end result landed you in a near coma," he said, "and for that, I am sincerely sorry."

Shinwoo blinked. Oh, is that why he had felt so crappy after sleeping for a week straight? It sort of made sense. But if that was the case, then why was he healed now? Surely it should have taken longer, especially if Rai had actually drained his energy instead of increasing it.

Turning his head, Shinwoo sought out Frankenstein, who smiled at him benignly. Ah, that made sense. The blond had done something to him, then, that had enhanced his recovery rate. Had he modified him in some way? Shinwoo didn't feel any different, at least. And he couldn't imagine that Frankenstein would have done something like that without his permission, regardless. Perhaps his treatments were just significantly more effective than anything he'd find at a hospital.

Shinwoo turned back to Rai. "That's okay," he said with a cocky grin. "Besides, isn't it better if the healthier person gets injured?" He had said that once before, back when he had first met M-21 and M-24. Of course, at the time, he had thought he'd been hit by a car. Knowing the truth didn't change anything, though, and he knew he'd take on Jake all over again if he had to. Good thing the bastard was dead.

Rai just gazed at him inscrutably for a moment, then picked up his teacup again and took a sip. Shinwoo grinned. Seira just ignored the proceedings as usual, and Regis looked at him like he was insane. Maybe he was.

"Hey, Shinwoo's back!" Tao exclaimed, walking into the room, Takeo right behind him. Shinwoo waved at the two men, and Tao flopped onto the couch next to him. "How're you doing?" he asked with a smile. "We didn't really get a chance to catch up earlier." He looped an arm around Shinwoo's shoulders, and the redhead allowed the hug, aware that Tao had probably been filled in while he'd been unconscious.

He elbowed Tao gently, and the older boy let him go. "I'm feeling great, actually," he admitted. "Probably better than I should be. I don't even think I have any injuries anymore," he realized, his hand shifting to his side to press against his ribs. There was no pain there, and his head didn't hurt, either. His hand flexed easily without causing him pain. M-21 watched him from over in the corner, and Shinwoo couldn't read his expression. He seemed to be trying to hide whatever it was he was thinking.

Tao distracted him away from M-21 after a moment. "So…care to explain a little bit more?" he asked. Shinwoo looked at him, and he shrugged. "It's not like Takeo and I were aware of what was going on, being unconscious after M-21 – " he cut off his words, then started again. "Boss filled us in a little bit, but he wasn't there for most of it, either. I heard that the damage to this place and the school is mostly your fault, though," he teased.

Shinwoo laughed, letting his slip-up drop. He had a general idea of what the older boy had been going to say anyhow, and there was no need to say it out loud. It would just make the silver-haired man feel worse than he probably did already. So he told them what had been going on since they disappeared. And if he exaggerated just a little, who was counting, right?

Two hours later found Shinwoo yawning, his eyes sliding closed. Apparently, even though he felt great, he still needed more rest than he'd gotten so far. Excusing himself for the night, Shinwoo stumbled off to his room. After changing, he crawled under the covers, falling asleep almost immediately.

An indeterminate time later, Shinwoo awoke abruptly to the sensation of someone hovering over him. His eyes snapped open, and he stared up at M-21, who was watching him, his silver eyes glowing in the light from the moon shining in his bedroom window. "Ahjussi?" he asked, unconcerned, "What's up? It's still dark out." He felt his eyes drooping again, sleep trying to pull him under, but M-21 didn't move. Shinwoo blinked, then rubbed his eyes, shifting as he tried to wake himself up a bit more. M-21 was behaving strangely. "You okay?" Shinwoo asked, genuine concern chasing away the last vestiges of sleep.

M-21's mouth twisted, like he couldn't decide what sort of face to give Shinwoo. The younger boy propped himself up. "Ahjussi? M-21? What's wrong?" He wasn't under some sort of mind control again, was he? Shinwoo reached out for the other man, intent on shaking him back to awareness, but before he could touch him, M-21's hand slammed into his shoulder, knocking him back onto the bed. Shinwoo froze, fighting the instincts that were screaming at him to fight back. Something was wrong, and he didn't know what.

The other man's hand didn't move from his shoulder, but M-21 finally spoke. "You almost died," he said simply. Shinwoo just frowned, confused. Well, yeah, but he had been prepared for that. His only thought at the time had been to protect his friends, whatever the cost. M-21 would have done the same thing, so why was he so upset?

Shinwoo remembered M-24, and the fate of the other M-series experiments. All dead. Only M-21 was left. Out of one hundred companions, only he had survived. Shinwoo wondered, then, how hard he would have taken it if Shinwoo had died while he'd stood there, completely helpless to move, to try and help him, to save him. If yet another friend died in front of him, protecting him, like M-24 had died protecting the children.

Using his free hand, Shinwoo reached up and grabbed M-21 by the back of his neck, yanking him down. M-21 looked startled as he landed on top of the redhead, who grunted at the impact. M-21 was more solidly built than he'd realized. "I'm here, though. I'm not dead, I didn't die. See? I'm still warm and breathing. My heart's still beating. You're alive. Takeo and Tao are alive. Rai, Frankenstein, Seira, and Regis are all alive. There's no point in worrying about what might have happened. I'll just have to get stronger, so that next time - " his words were cut off by a clawed hand wrapped around his throat.

M-21 nearly snarled at him. "Next time? Next time, you just might die, you stupid child! You're strong for a human, but not against the type of monsters we face! I had been hoping that our sparring would have proven that to you! Perhaps I went too easy on you?" There was a mocking undertone in his voice now, but Shinwoo didn't know if it was directed at him or at M-21. Regardless, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Now M-21 was concerned about him? Hadn't they discussed this before? If he was going to be allowed to keep his memories, then he'd have to get stronger. The other man had already made it clear that he didn't want Shinwoo to go through experiments to make him stronger, which didn't give him much choice.

Unless M-21 was saying something completely different. Anger humming through him, Shinwoo reacted, cocking back a fist and striking the older man across the jaw. M-21's grip loosened around his throat, but only for a brief moment. He didn't budge from his position above Shinwoo, and the redhead narrowed his eyes up at the other man. Gripping his wrist in both his hands, Shinwoo wrenched M-21's arm to the left and shifted his legs and hips to the right, throwing M-21 off balance and sending them both toppling to the floor.

Rather than try to overpower the other man, knowing he'd lose, Shinwoo backed off, pressing into a corner and watching the other man warily. M-21 stalked towards him, but his eyes were clear, though darkened with anger. So at least he was himself, huh? Good.

"Do you want my memories erased again? Is that it?" he asked bluntly. M-21 paused, then lowered his eyes to the ground, his stance relaxing, but it was too late. Shinwoo had seen the truth in his eyes; that's exactly what M-21 wanted. He wanted to be able to keep Shinwoo out of the fight, and he felt that the best way to do that was to erase his memories. Again.

Still, that wouldn't work, not entirely. "You do realize, don't you, that whatever was done to erase my memories isn't foolproof, right? I mean, it's not like I really remembered anything, but I saw them in my dreams. And even you can't deny that I've been kidnapped and used against you and the others before, even without knowing what's going on." M-21 didn't look happy, but he hadn't interrupted, either. "And we both know that I'm going to protect my friends to the best of my ability, no matter what I'm up against. But if I lose my memories, I'll just assume they're human, like I am. That would probably get me killed faster, don't you think? Do you really think I would have survived Jake's attack if it hadn't been for your friend?"

There was a definite slump to M-21's shoulders now, and Shinwoo approached him carefully. When the older man made no move to attack him again, or even to look at him, Shinwoo reached out again. This time, he touched his hand, bringing it up to press against his chest, right over his heartbeat. "I'm alive now because I knew what I was up against. I couldn't beat them in strength, but I could use the fact that they wanted those journals against them. I came prepared, Ahjussi. I know I could have lost my life. But the same went for you, and Takeo and Tao. Any one of us could have died, and the guilt would have been the same."

M-21's hand pressed more firmly against his skin, trembling just slightly, and Shinwoo smiled. "Do you really think it would better if my memories were erased?" he asked. "Because if you do, then I will go ask Frankenstein right now to erase them. I'm serious," he insisted when M-21 looked up at him in disbelief. "If you think it'll make any sort of difference, then I'll ask him, and we can find out." Personally, he was pretty sure that it wouldn't help anything, considering his penchant for getting into trouble, but he meant every word.

Pale lids closed over those silver eyes, and M-21 pulled his hand away. Shinwoo let him go, watching as the older man turned his back to him, one arm braced against the wall, his head bowed. After a moment, M-21 spoke. "Is your throat okay?" he asked.

Shinwoo reached up and touched his neck. There wasn't any pain, and he doubted there would be bruises. It had been surprise more than anything that had rendered him speechless. Well, that and the claws pressing against the sides of his throat, though they hadn't dug in. M-21 hadn't wanted to hurt him, just maybe frighten him a little. "Hehe. Yeah, I'm fine," he answered. "So...does that mean we're okay now?"

M-21 turned to look at him for a moment, then gave that quirky little half-smile and shook his head. "Yeah, we're okay. I'm sorry," he apologized, but Shinwoo just shook his head and clapped him on the back. His slap might've been a bit harder than necessary, but M-21 didn't call him out on it, and Shinwoo grinned.

"Good. Now, I'm going back to bed. This waking up at four o'clock in the morning has got to stop," he teased after taking a glance at the bedside clock. M-21 excused himself, and Shinwoo watched him go, then waited. Once a sufficient amount of time had passed, he slipped on a pair of slippers and a t-shirt and left the bedroom. He headed straight for the living room, where Rai would probably be reading. Shinwoo didn't know if Nobles didn't require sleep, or if it was just Rai, but he had never seen the dark-haired Noblesse sleeping, except perhaps when he was in hibernation. Even Regis and Seira disappeared somewhere at night, though perhaps they didn't sleep, either. Maybe he'd ask one of them later.

Rai glanced up from his book when Shinwoo entered the room. His gaze seemed to be fixed just under Shinwoo's face, and the boy smiled ruefully, rubbing at his throat. He didn't think it would bruise, but he should have probably checked for red marks before coming out here. Of course, given Rai's ability to read people, perhaps he would have known what had happened even without the physical evidence.

Shinwoo sat on the couch across from him, spreading his arms out along the back of it. He didn't speak, and after another moment, Rai went back to his book, the occasional rustle of paper the only sound for several minutes. Finally, the boy decided he was ready to talk. Without Shinwoo doing so much as shifting, Rai delicately marked his place and closed the book before setting it on the table next to him. He sat back, his legs crossed, and just observed Shinwoo, who smiled.

"Ah, I can't get anything past you, can I, Rai?" he asked, only semi-jokingly. Rai didn't answer him, but Shinwoo hadn't really expected him to, anyhow. "I don't know how to help M-21," he said at last, not wasting time. "He's afraid that I'll get killed, and I can kind of understand that, but at the same time, I can't see how to stop it. Even if you all were to leave, which I'd really hate, I don't know that it would help. There's something going on here, and I'm starting to wonder if your presence is actually the only thing that hasn't made it worse."

He couldn't really explain it, but from what they had told him, the Union had been here before Rai had woken up. Frankenstein was well-hidden as the principal of Ye Ran High. True, it had been the hunt for Rai's coffin that had brought Union agents here, and then things had kind of snowballed, but Shinwoo still wasn't certain that those things wouldn't have happened anyhow. If this Crombell character was interested in Korea, then the Union may have involved itself in this country sooner or later anyhow.

Rai seemed to be considering his words. At last, he replied, but his answer wasn't what Shinwoo had been expecting. "For a long time, Frankenstein was the only one who wanted to protect me," he said, his gaze somewhere in the past. "But in a recent fight, M-21 stood in front of me and tried to shield me, to give me time to get away, even though he knew he could not win. It wasn't a bad feeling."

Shinwoo frowned. What did that have to do with anything? Rai just offered him a small smile. "M-21 does not realize that he sees in you what I see in him. It makes him frightened, but he does not understand why." And suddenly, Shinwoo got it. It wasn't that M-21 thought he was weak, or that he shouldn't get involved, though those might factor into his feelings. It was that M-21 didn't understand why somebody like Shinwoo would want to protect him. For somebody to whom death had been a given, it was inconceivable that another might care about his well-being.

Perhaps with Takeo and Tao, it was understandable, because they were the same as he was. Experiments that were intended only as sacrifices to a greater power, who were thrown away by the Union when they no longer served a purpose. But Shinwoo was different. He was just a normal human, he shouldn't be concerning himself with the likes of M-21. And he should definitely not want to protect him.

Shinwoo nodded. He knew what the problem was now, thanks to Rai. Now he just had to figure out how to get past it. Standing, he moved over to the other couch and crouched down in front of Rai, meeting the other man's eyes. "Thanks, Rai," he said with a grin. "I'll figure it out from here." Rai just nodded, and Shinwoo stood back up, heading out. "Don't stay up too late, Rai!" he called back as he left the living room. The turning of a page was his only answer, and Shinwoo headed back for bed. He'd have about two more hours of sleep before it was time to get up for the day.

Shinwoo thought about his dilemma as he curled back into bed, but finally decided that he should speak with Takeo and Tao first. Perhaps they'd have some insight as to how to go about getting M-21 to accept that he wasn't going anywhere. After all, he didn't intend to die on the other man if he could at all avoid it, but making him believe that was going to be the hard part.

Deciding that he'd worry about it later, Shinwoo closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep once more.


	8. Chapter 8

Shinwoo stumbled into the kitchen, grumbling under his breath. He had overslept again. There was nobody in the kitchen, but that was okay. Reaching into the fridge, Shinwoo pulled out a covered plate and heated it up. They weren't allowed to miss dinner unless they were badly injured or otherwise unable to attend, but occasionally Frankenstein would permit them to miss breakfast. And Seira always made sure there was a plate made up for anybody who missed a meal.

After eating breakfast - he'd have to make sure to thank Seira later - Shinwoo slipped on his shoes and wandered outside, wondering where the others had gone off to. Frankenstein was probably down in the lab doing whatever it was that he did when he had free time. Rai was probably with him. Seira and Regis were probably in a nearby park. Seira seemed to enjoy being surrounded by all the trees and flowers, and Regis wouldn't leave her unaccompanied. That just left the three men. Shinwoo didn't think about it long, grimacing as he remembered the mess he'd left behind at the school. It was reopening tomorrow, so they'd have to get it cleaned up today, and Shinwoo doubted Frankenstein would dirty his hands when he had three houseguests who could take care of it for him.

His phone buzzed, and Shinwoo pulled it out of his back pocket. It was Ik-han, wondering what he was doing that afternoon. He sent back a quick reply, telling Ik-han that he didn't have any plans yet, but if he and the girls wanted to go visit Rai, they could do that. It was always fun when all of them were together, and Shinwoo didn't think Rai minded that they were there almost every day, as long as Rai and the others were home and not occupied with saving the country or something.

Ik-han agreed readily, even promising to bring some games, and Shinwoo grinned. They'd go play down in Frankenstein's computer room later, and completely crush Rai again. Heh. The Noblesse, for all his power, didn't stand a chance against the combined might of Shinwoo and Ik-han. He had wondered once if Rai was simply allowing them to win, but he had quickly realized that Rai was honestly just that clueless about technology. Of course, having just woken up after 820 years of hibernation probably had a lot to do with that, but Shinwoo sort of enjoyed watching Rai's gracefully awkward attempts at beating them.

Nearing the school, he peered around the corner. The front doors had been removed entirely, two brand new ones sitting against the wall. As he watched, M-21 walked out, carrying the fragments of the Principal's office door. Shinwoo was just glad that he hadn't broken any other furniture while he'd been there, though he'd left the place a mess. Figuring that since it was his fault, he should probably help, Shinwoo walked through the gates and towards M-21, who just gave him a raised eyebrow. "This was your doing?" he asked, and Shinwoo nodded, flushing lightly. M-21 snorted, but a small amused smile tugged at his face, and Shinwoo relaxed; the older man wasn't mad at him.

"Takeo and Tao are in the office if you're looking for them," M-21 murmured, dropping the fragments he'd been carrying and examining the doors. Shinwoo thanked him and trotted inside, heading for Frankenstein's office. Sure enough, the two former DA-5 members were inside, straightening papers and reorganizing shelves. Takeo saw him first and waved, attracting Tao's attention.

"Hey, Shinwoo!" Tao greeted, slinging an arm around his shoulders and dragging him into the office. "You really made a mess of things, didn't you?" he exclaimed quite cheerfully. Shinwoo grimaced, but nodded, taking a good look around the office. He supposed it could have been worse, but he had been quite...enthusiastic in his search. Papers were scattered all over the floor, and Shinwoo crouched down to start picking them up, glancing at each sheet and shuffling them into some sort of order. Since they looked like important documents and reports, Shinwoo decided that he should at least try and keep them together properly.

Takeo and Tao left him to it, each of them taking a side of the heavy mahogany desk and lifting it as if it weighed nothing, settling it gently back in its place. There was no talking involved, and Shinwoo realized that they were probably waiting for him to begin. Deciding that he had better talk before M-21 came back - or before they finished - Shinwoo explained his dilemma, ending with, "So I'm hoping you guys have a solution. He accepts that you'll fight alongside him, and that you might die in the process, but he can't accept the same for me. But he doesn't want me to ask Frankenstein to make me stronger, either."

Takeo nodded. "Of course he doesn't. All of us were experimented on against our will, forced to suffer through the Union's tests and follow their orders. Some, like Jake, didn't mind as much, and enjoyed it. But for M-21, it was a living hell, knowing that the Union could decide to dispose of him at any given moment. He doesn't like the fact that we fight, either, but he accepts that we, too, are enhanced humans that have betrayed the Union. Even if we were to run and hide, that would be no way to live, and the Union would probably find us eventually anyhow. So to him, it is safer that we are here."

Shinwoo nodded. "Yeah, I understand that, but it doesn't help me. I'm not leaving town, obviously, and I feel the same way he does. I don't want anybody to die protecting me. Rai says he doesn't think he deserves to have people want to protect him. But he accepts that you two see him as comrades. Why can't the same be true for me?" He tried to hide the hurt in his tone, but realized he hadn't succeeded when the two older men squeezed his shoulder.

"How about you spar with us for a while?" Tao suggested. Shinwoo looked up at him. "You're right; M-21 is frightened by what happened, even though we survived. He needs time to accept that you're going to involve yourself in our fights from now on, whether you know what's going on or not. You wouldn't have been able to live in ignorance, anyhow, since you're strong enough to attract attention without even trying." Shinwoo winced; after all, hadn't that been how the whole thing had started, with him protecting Yuna from an infected, which shouldn't have been possible for a normal human? He had caught the attention of M-21 and M-24, and later Jake, and things had just sort of snowballed from there.

Nodding, Shinwoo agreed to the suggestion. "All right. When do we start?" he asked. Tao grinned brightly at him, but before he could say anything, M-21 walked into the office, looking around at the mess that remained. They hadn't made much headway, and Shinwoo grinned, crouching back down to pick up another stack of papers. The four of them finished straightening the office - though there was sure to be something out of place when Frankenstein returned on Monday - and left the school building through the newly repaired doors.

Halfway home, Shinwoo stopped at the convenience store, waving for the others to go on ahead. Realizing what he was up to, Tao just laughed and dragged the other two away. Not even ten minutes later, Ik-han and Yuna walked around the corner, waving to him. He waved back; this was their usual meeting spot if they met on the weekends, rather than leaving straight from school like they did the rest of the week. "Suyi should be here in a few minutes," Yuna said, smiling prettily at him.

Shinwoo would have blushed, but realized that while he still cared for Yuna, it was a different sort of love now, not like the crush he'd had before. Besides, she had rejected him two years ago, and he doubted she'd change her mind now. They had been friends for too long for a deeper relationship to work out between them. But if he wasn't interested in her, then was he interested in someone else?

Seira came to mind, but Shinwoo was too in awe of her to be able to treat her like a girlfriend. He couldn't even see her as something like that. She was too...well, too _noble_ for such a designation. Actually, she reminded him a lot of Rai. Besides, what would that make him, if she accepted? He wasn't a Noble, and he doubted their Lord would accept such a union anyhow. Not to mention what Regis would have to say about it. Yes, it was better to just admire her silent strength and shapely body from afar.

"Are you okay, Shinwoo?" Ik-han asked, peering up at him through his glasses. Shinwoo nodded, but was saved from having to answer by the arrival of Suyi. Eyeing the other girl, Shinwoo arrived at the same conclusion; she was pretty, but he wasn't interested. Huh.

Now that they were all together, Shinwoo answered the text message he had received earlier, letting Rai know that they were on their way. He'd no doubt let Seira know, and she'd have food and snacks ready when they arrived at the Principal's place. "Seira said we didn't have to pick up anything, since there's plenty of food at the house. The Principal even let her buy some snacks last time," he grinned. The other three cheered; the blond just couldn't refuse them, especially when Rai obviously enjoyed himself. If it was for his Master, Frankenstein could tolerate just about anything. And Shinwoo suspected that the blond rather enjoyed their presence as well, even if they were a bit messy.

Ik-han showed him some games, and Shinwoo burst out laughing when he saw one of them. Rather than a first-person shooter game, the players were vampires, and they were hunting zombies. Shinwoo knew the truth behind the vampire legends now, but it was going to be hilarious watching Rai react to the stereotypes and misinformation. Perhaps they should try and drag Regis downstairs with them; he'd no doubt be even more vocal in his derision of human concepts regarding vampires.

"We totally have to play that one! Can you see Rai now, with all the blood and everything?" Yuna and Suyi giggled, and Shinwoo gave them a cocky grin. They just rolled their eyes at him. Considering Rai's power dealt in blood, perhaps he'd have better luck with this game. Although this game was more about ripping out hearts and draining blood from humans for strength, which he would probably find abhorrent. Shinwoo knew he should feel bad and probably not suggest it, but the temptation was too great, and he would have done it without hesitation before he'd found out what Rai and the others were, right? So it shouldn't make a difference now.

Shinwoo grinned as a new thought occurred to him. "I wonder if Ahjussi will play? Or Takeo and Tao Hyung?" The purple haired man, at least, should be pretty good at shooting the zombies, while M-21 would probably have fun hunting them. The others seemed excited, and while they knew that not everybody would play - Seira and Principal Lee didn't play computer games, after all - they could probably have a decent battle.

Rai greeted them at the door, and the children spilled into the house, bringing noise and laughter with them. "Hey, Rai! We've got a new game!" Shinwoo cackled, already anticipating his victory. Crimson eyes blinked at them, and then Rai turned and walked away, heading for the computer room. The others followed him, passing by the living room.

Tao-hyung!" Ik-han called, waving. "Come play with us! You, too, Takeo-hyung!" The two men looked at each other. Takeo shrugged, and Tao cheered. Shinwoo looked for M-21, but saw neither him nor Frankenstein, which meant they were probably down in the lab.

Seira sent some snacks down with them, promising that dinner would be ready when they were done playing. Regis watched them curiously, but declined when Shinwoo invited him along. Unlike Rai, who usually just went with the flow, Regis considered such games beneath him. Personally, Shinwoo thought the young Noble was just a sore loser.

They settled quickly at the computer stations. Rai turned on his own computer, delighting Ik-han. Slipping on their 3d glasses, Shinwoo waited impatiently for the computer to boot while Ik-han explained the premise of the game and the controls to the rest of the room. Tao seemed excited, no doubt thrilled at the opportunity to tinker with 3D technology. Takeo looked unsure of himself, since this game didn't involve his weapon of choice.

The game started, and Shinwoo picked his character, a slender silver-haired man with glowing amber eyes. Rai, unsurprisingly, chose a dark-haired vampire with sharp crimson eyes. Shinwoo didn't pay attention to the others because the game hard started. He quickly immersed himself in the game, his natural fighting ability obvious as he launched his character at the hordes of zombies.

Rai was quickly surrounded, and Shinwoo found himself moving to help him, glad that even though kill points were given individually, the overall purpose of the game was to destroy all the zombies while keeping the vampires alive. He wasn't the only one to run to Rai's side, and Shinwoo found himself defending from the front while Takeo and Tao took the left and right.

Shinwoo's character stumbled, and he called over to Rai, "Good attack! Now use it on the zombies instead of your comrades, okay?" He didn't see Rai's response, but the next blast of power took out the zombies behind them. "Wahoo!" Shinwoo crowed, and the others echoed him. Ik-han and the girls started hunting humans, drinking from them to increase the power of Rai's attacks, and the overall stamina of the group. Tao went to help them, leaving Takeo and Shinwoo to help defend Rai.

The fast-paced game fully involved the people playing, and they spent the next three hours merrily tearing apart the enemy. Shinwoo and Ik-han cheered every time they tore out a zombie's heart or ripped off a limb. Occasionally, one of them would be overwhelmed, but there was usually somebody nearby with sufficient blood energy to revive them.

When the game finally ended, the word Victory splayed brightly on their screens, Shinwoo removed his glasses and glanced over at Rai. The Noblesse was looking back at him, and Shinwoo grinned. It had been inaccurate as hell, but it had been fun. He'd have to explain that even though they had hunted humans for blood, they hadn't killed them. Otherwise, Rai would probably never play again, and that would be a shame.

Glancing at the scores, Shinwoo did a double-take, then whopped. "Look at that, Rai! Third place!" The dark-haired Noble had placed right beneath Shinwoo and Takeo, and right above Ik-han. Tao, Yuna, and Suyi made up the bottom three scores.

Rai looked clueless, so Ik-han explained the scoring system to him. Since he had used vampire "powers" more often, he had earned a higher score. The attacks he had been using took time to activate and drained the vampire's stamina, requiring more blood energy to fuel the attack, so each successful attack was worth nearly ten times the damage caused by physical attacks. Shinwoo grinned at that; Rai had unintentionally used the power that most closely resembled his own.

Once Rai grasped what Ik-han was telling him, he blushed, and small, pleased smile tugging at his lips. He could finally tell Frankenstein that he had experienced triumph instead of death. Shinwoo made a mental note to have Ik-han find more team games to introduce Rai to. As fun as it was to beat him, it was just as enjoyable working alongside him. And now that he'd had real-life experience and seen what Rai could do, he found that it translated over into game play as well.

There was a knock on the door, and Frankenstein walked in, glancing at the scores that were still flashing across the computer screens. He merely raised an eyebrow when he saw Rai's name, but Shinwoo could tell that he was pleased. Good, that increased the chances that he'd listen to Shinwoo's request later.

The children trooped upstairs for dinner, followed by the adults. Seira had the table ready for them, and the house was quickly filled with noisy chatter as the children ate and talked and goofed off. Shinwoo found his gaze straying towards M-21 more often than not, but the other man didn't meet his gaze. Was he still feeling guilty about last night?

This time, when his friends left, Shinwoo went with them. He had a lot to consider before he talked to Frankenstein, and M-21 needed some time to himself. Takeo and Tao would keep an eye on him and let him talk things out if he needed to. The friendship between the three was tightly knit, and Shinwoo found himself almost jealous. He used to have that with his friends, but the fact that he knew so much more than they did was forcing them further apart, even as he tried to keep everything the same. It hurt a little, but their safety was far more important than his desire to share secrets with them.

Waving goodnight to Ik-han – the girls had been taken home first – Shinwoo finished the short walk to his place. Wandering inside the empty house, he kicked off his shoes and headed straight for the bedroom. The blankets were still messed up from when M-21 had laid there, and Shinwoo dumped the sheets to the floor and haphazardly remade the bed before flopping onto it. He was exhausted again, but there were too many things racing through his head for sleep to come easily.

When it finally did come, it was a restless sleep, plagued by nightmares, hints of memories peeking through them, enough to make them more realistic and therefore more frightening. M-21's blank stare, the guilt flashing through his eyes afterwards, along with the rage. Takeo and Tao's broken bodies, not breathing as they stared blankly at the sky, their eyes glassy with death. In his head, Shinwoo knew they were alive, and that they hadn't really died at the enemy's hands, but in his nightmares, the truth was warped almost beyond recognition.

He woke, gasping, fighting the urge to call someone, anyone, to confirm that everything was fine, that everyone was_ okay_. He stared into the darkness at his bedroom wall, slowly feeling his heart find a normal rhythm. Shit. Once he had calmed sufficiently, he tried to sleep again, but every time he tried, the nightmares threatened to overwhelm him again, and so he only drowsed, afraid to let himself fall under completely.

Morning – and the subsequent return to classes – came far too early for Shinwoo, and he dragged himself out of bed. Splashing his face with water, he got a good look at himself in the mirror. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked like he felt – as if he hadn't slept at all the previous night.

Yawning, he took care of his morning routine and slipped into his school uniform. He didn't have the energy to run to school today, but he was up early enough that it didn't really matter. Ik-han would probably be surprised when he showed up and Shinwoo wasn't there. Then again, that might not be the best idea. Shinwoo sent him a text message letting him know that he had something to take care of, so he'd see him at the school later.

When he arrived at the school, the gates were still closed. He debated hopping over them, but decided it wasn't worth the effort, so he slouched against the brick wall instead, tipping his head back and closing his eyes, another yawn coming unbidden. "Rough night?" the sympathetic voice roused him, and Shinwoo smiled tiredly at Takeo and Tao, who were rounding the corner of the building.

He shrugged. "Just not enough sleep. Should've grabbed some coffee," he muttered. Takeo peered at him worriedly, but Tao tugged on his sleeve and he allowed himself to be pulled away. They opened the gates and sauntered in, and Shinwoo followed. There was a body suddenly in front of him, and Shinwoo was almost too slow to react, lack of sleep making his reaction time worse. Tao's open hand blew past his fast, and the redhead suddenly found himself more awake, the slow pull of adrenaline forcing his mind to focus, even as his body moved mostly on instinct, dodging as best he could.

Tao stopped suddenly, and Shinwoo stopped a split second later, tense and alert. Tao grinned at him. "Now you're finally looking more awake. Glad to know that you can still move like that, even when you're tired." Shinwoo scowled at him, but he was right about one thing; Shinwoo definitely felt more awake now. Still, it was going to be even rougher when he finally crashed.

Takeo smacked Tao lightly on the back of the head. "And what happens when the adrenaline drops?" he asked. "If he passes out, you get to explain it to the Principal, all right?" They were on school grounds, so Frankenstein was back to being Principal Lee. Tao pouted, and Shinwoo chuckled. Takeo nodded at him. "The doors are unlocked, so you can go on in if you'd like. We have to start our patrol, as the other children will start arriving soon."

Shinwoo nodded and waved, heading for the front doors. He hadn't seen M-21, but figured that the other man had either been held back, or had simply bypassed him earlier. The three men usually came together, which is the only reason he wondered about M-21's absence.

When he arrived in the classroom, he saw Rai sitting there already, gazing out the window. Regis and Seira were seated, and they looked up when he came in. Regis raised an eyebrow. "A little early, aren't you?" he quipped.

Grinning, the redhead replied, "Yeah, but don't get used to it. This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Pedro's on today, too. I wonder if he'll have a heart attack?" he mused. Seira nodded at him in greeting, and Rai glanced his way before turning to stare out the window again. Since he had time this morning, Shinwoo wandered over to stand next to the window, peering outside. There was nothing to see, and he wondered once again what Rai was thinking when he gazed out the window during class.

"It's peaceful," he commented softly, watching Rai to see if he reacted. The Noblesse just nodded, his earring catching the sunlight and sending it scattering across his desk. Shinwoo had to resist the sudden urge to touch it, his hand curling into a fist by his side. "Was it not like this in Lukedonia?" he asked, his voice hushed. Nobody else was in the room yet, but that didn't mean that he could go shouting out the secrets of the Nobles, either.

Rai seemed to think about that for a moment before replying, his words careful. "There, it was different. It was just me, until Frankenstein came." Shinwoo blinked; just him? He had heard that Rai had his own mansion set apart from the other Nobles, but hadn't he had visitors? Or servants? Perhaps a few friends? Looking at Rai now, Shinwoo realized that his naivety extended well past technological advancements. Rai wasn't used to being around people, and didn't know how to be social, how to have friends that he could talk to and share things with. His life now must seem overwhelming at times. Especially when Shinwoo, Ik-han, Yuna, and Suyi all showed up, he grinned.

"Is that why this school was built? For you?" Shinwoo asked. Rai nodded, and a small smile tugged at his lips. Shinwoo smiled back happily, and would have said more, but the first of the early students started trickling in. Shinwoo sat at his own desk, dropping his bag on the floor, then dropped his head to the desk. If nothing else, nobody would find it suspicious if he fell asleep in class, since he did it pretty much every day anyhow.

The room filled up with the murmur of voices of schoolchildren catching up with each other after the weekend. Shinwoo's presence was largely overlooked, for which he was grateful, though both Yuna and Ik-han stopped by. Suyi had started a new modeling job, so she'd be missing school for the next three days, possibly longer.

Silence fell, and that was all the warning Shinwoo had before Pedro slammed his hand down on his desk. Luckily, he had been expecting it, so while he moved his head away from the desk, he didn't jump. "Hey, teacher!" he greeted cheerfully. The next thing he knew, he was in a headlock. Other students were giggling and whispering while he was punished, but Shinwoo didn't mind. Pedro had never really hurt him, and he sort of liked the older man. If nothing else, Pedro had been his teacher for years now, and had even moved up into the high school when Shinwoo did, though he really hoped that was just coincidence.

Math was as boring as ever, and Shinwoo dozed through most of it. It certainly wasn't his best subject, but then again, he didn't really have a best subject, either, except maybe lunch. The morning flew by in a similar manner, with Shinwoo occasionally rousing himself long enough to realize that there was a new teacher in the classroom. Other than Pedro, the other teachers didn't even bother to try and wake him up. The redhead had realized some time ago that the teachers at Ye Ran High seemed to be afraid of him, though he didn't know why. It's not like he had ever caused trouble in class. At least not deliberately.

When lunchtime came, Ik-han shook him awake, and Shinwoo stretched, yawning widely. Still, while his back and neck were a bit stiff, he was feeling much better than he had when he'd first woken up. He noticed Rai watching him from the corner of his eye, and grinned at him. "That was a nice nap," he said, pleased. "I feel much better." Rai nodded, accepting his assurances. Ik-han just rolled his eyes. Glancing out the window, Shinwoo watched as M-21 walked past, and he suddenly got an idea.

Heading for the cafeteria, Shinwoo debated, but decided that it couldn't hurt anything but his wallet. He ordered four bowls of ramen from the lunch lady, who just looked at him like he was crazy, but gave him what he'd asked for. He was paying, after all.

The bowls were divided between two trays, and Shinwoo made his excuses to his friends before beginning the precarious trip outside. It had never occurred to him to wonder when the other men ate, or if they just waited until they got home in the evening, but now that he'd thought about it, he couldn't let it go.

Stepping out into the courtyard, Takeo was the first one he came across. The purple-haired man silently took one of the trays from him, then looked at him for an explanation. "Call the other two for me, would you?" he asked. "The school will survive without you three patrolling it for half an hour or so." At least, he hoped it would.

Takeo gave him an inscrutable look once he realized what Shinwoo was up to, but he called the others through their earpieces. Shinwoo couldn't be sure, but he thought that the older man was touched by his gesture. He waved at Tao and M-21 when they came around the corner, and they looked at him, then at the bowls now sitting on a nearby table. "What are you – " M-21 trailed off as he realized what was going on. He tilted his head slightly as he contemplated Shinwoo, who just shrugged and dug in. After a moment of silence, the other three men sat down and joined him, and Shinwoo relaxed. He hadn't actually been certain that the other three would accept his offering, but there they were, seated at one of the umbrella-covered tables in the courtyard, eating lunch with and discussing absolutely nothing of importance.

Hearing the bell ring, Shinwoo pushed himself to his feet. "Ah, we'll take care of these, Shinwoo," Tao assured him, stacking the bowls and silverware onto the trays. Shinwoo smiled at him gratefully, waving over his shoulder as he headed back inside. "Oh, and Shinwoo?" Tao called. The redhead turned around, and Tao winked. "We've got some spare time tonight, if you want to get started," he offered. Shinwoo nodded, then left, leaving the other two to explain things to M-21.

Wandering back into his classroom, Shinwoo saw Ik-han and Yuna grinning at him, and realized they had probably seen him outside with the others. "Invite us next time, okay?" Ik-han teased. Shinwoo agreed readily as he sat at his desk, and wondered if perhaps Rai would join them as well. Nothing in the rules said that they _had_ to sit in the cafeteria, as long as they weren't creating a ruckus.

Shinwoo glanced over at Rai, but he was staring out the window again. With a resigned sigh, Shinwoo slouched further down in his seat and turned his attention to the front of the classroom. English. Great. With another sigh, Shinwoo settled in for the afternoon. It was going to be a long one.


	9. Chapter 9

That night, Tao and Takeo showed up at his house. There was a quiet tap on his window, and Shinwoo peeked outside to see the dark-haired man grinning up at him. Takeo inclined his head in greeting, and Shinwoo chuckled as he slipped on his shoes and opened the window. Quickly, he hopped out the window and down to the ground. Tao and Takeo just watched him leave, amused. "Are your parents home?" Takeo asked.

Shinwoo shook his head. "Nope! This was just quicker!" he explained. Tao laughed, and Takeo just shook his head in fond exasperation. Shinwoo scratched at his cheek, feeling himself flush lightly. He hadn't thought of how it would look to outsiders, like a rebellious teen sneaking out at night to go hang out with some older boys, probably to cause trouble or something. Fortunately, his neighbors around here didn't really care what he did, as long as he didn't create a disturbance in the immediate area. They probably wouldn't even notice if he didn't return for a month.

Tao slung an arm around his shoulders and kept up a flow of mindless chatter, occasionally wandering off on a tangent. Shinwoo tried to follow, but eventually gave up, just agreeing with the other man, making a noncommittal sound now and again. Usually, it was him carrying on the bulk of a conversation, so this reversal was something new. Not that it was a bad thing, he thought affectionately.

"So, you sure you want to do this?" Tao asked when they arrived at the school. The two former DA-5 members had easily leapt over the gate, bringing Shinwoo with them as they cleared the top spires entirely. Shinwoo blinked; he had known they could all jump as if they were flying, but he had never seen it. M-21 was always very careful to not use all of his abilities in their fights, and now Shinwoo realized that M-21 had only been humoring him when he'd brought out his claws. He could've crushed Shinwoo in a second if he had wanted do.

"Damn," he breathed. "I'm glad the infected was the only one I fought." Takeo looked at him curiously, and he grinned. "If I had fought Ahjussi, I'd have been dead." In his head he had known that, but it hadn't really sunk in before.

Tao seemed to think that over, humming under his breath. "I'm not so sure about that," he said at last. Shinwoo and Takeo just stared at him like he was crazy. "What?" he asked defensively. "It's not like the infected is the only one that Shinwoo fought, right? He fought Jake, too. And the other night, he saved all three of us, and you know it. He's a lot stronger than he looks."

Shinwoo mulled Tao's words over in his head. While he wasn't sure that he agreed entirely, he decided that it wasn't worth arguing about. Instead he looked up at the other man. "How're we going to do this? I'm guessing you're not planning on using D, correct?" he asked, wondering how he'd fare against them if they _did_ use the drug. Still, he supposed he ought to beat them normally first before he worried about anything else.

Tao grinned and backed away from him. Shinwoo frowned; Takeo was doing the same thing. He watched them, his body ready to move at the slightest indication that they were about to attack. "Lesson one!" Tao laughed. "Be quick now."

Shinwoo wondered if he was supposed to attack first. Movement from behind and to his left had him shifting, only to find someone else on his other side. "Whoa! What's this?" he asked, trying to get a good look at the two newcomers even as he dodged. A foot caught his side and sent him skidding. He managed to stay on his feet, but only barely. He blinked at the dark-haired girl who had just attacked him. Just behind her was a slightly older, gray-haired man. "Hey, weren't you the substitute teachers?" he asked, his arm coming up to block her next attack. His feet slid again, and he braced himself. If he fell now, they'd be on top of him before he could roll out of the way.

"You've got a pretty good memory," the man acknowledged. The woman didn't say anything, so he smiled and introduced them, his voice pleasant. If Shinwoo wasn't trying to dodge his partner's fists, he might have smiled back. "My name's An Sangeen. This is Na Yonsu. We're agents of the KSA." Ah, modified humans, then. These were their contacts from within the KSA organization, responsible for making sure innocent bystanders didn't get caught in crossfire, and for covering up whatever disaster they caused in their fights with the Union.

Shinwoo growled as his legs were swept out from under him, his hand catching Na Yonsu's ankle and tossing her away from him. "I'd say pleased to meet you, but I'm really not." The older gentleman just chuckled, watching in amusement as his wife continued her barrage of attacks, not distracted in the least by their little side conversation.

An Sangeen watched, fascinated, as Shinwoo continued to dodge the attacks flying at him, but he made no move to attack. "He moves well," he said to Tao. Shinwoo ignored the other man's reply, focused on not getting the crap beat out of him by the slender female in front of him. He had never been forced to attack a female before, and while his mind told him this was a modified human, his eyes only saw a woman. A strong one, but still a woman.

She must've realized what he was thinking, because Na Yonsu smiled sharply, baring her teeth at him. "What? You won't attack because I'm a girl? Is that why you keep just dodging?" she taunted, coming to a full stop. Shinwoo stopped when she did, eyeing her warily, but not answering. She smiled, and it was eager this time. "Time to break you of that, I suppose," she said, and launched herself at him. Her speed was much greater this time, and Shinwoo felt her fist clip his raised arm right before her foot caught him in the ribs.

"Shit!" he growled, rolling out of the way of her foot, which would have crushed his leg. He rose to his feet, only to duck again as he was attacked from behind by An Sangeen. His blood sang in his veins, and he grinned. Two on one, huh? Now this was more like it!

Correctly judging that the female was the more dangerous of the two, Shinwoo launched himself at An Sangeen first. The other man dodged him, but that was fine, as it allowed Shinwoo to slip past him, putting the other man between himself and the lady. Na Yonsu smiled at him approvingly before darting forward. She moved to his right, and her partner moved to Shinwoo's left. He swore as they attacked from either side.

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to block both of them, and knowing that they were expecting him to duck, Shinwoo didn't move from his spot. Twisting, he crossed his arms in front of him, taking the brunt of Na Yonsu's attack head on, while An Sangeen's leg caught him behind the knees, dropping him to the ground. He winced as his arms took the pressure of her attack. They were going to bruise beautifully, he was sure.

He didn't have any time, but he tried to shift out of the way nonetheless. He was surprised when neither of them landed another attack. There was a low growl above him, and Shinwoo peered through his bangs up at M-21, who had caught Na Yonsu's foot in one hand, and An Sangeen's fist in the other.

The two KSA agents leapt backwards, and M-21 let them go, still standing over Shinwoo's body. With a grimace, the redhead staggered to his feet. M-21 looked at him, then snorted as Tao clapped from off to the side. "Ah, I was wondering if you'd make it here first, or if Shinwoo would be unconscious before then." M-21 gave the other man a filthy look, while Shinwoo just blinked. What the hell was going on?

"Well, we figured that the best way to see if Shinwoo could hold his own against modified humans was to put him up against opponents that he'd never fought before. You've seen how quickly he adjusts to different styles of attacks. He rarely makes the same mistake twice, and accommodates his fighting style to match the opponent. He's seen both Takeo and I fight before. You, too," Tao shrugged.

Na Yonsu stared at Shinwoo, who looked back at her. "Does he really learn so fast?" he practically sneered, and Shinwoo grinned. It looked like the little lady wasn't done yet. Raising a hand, he made a 'come get me' gesture, She smirked. "Oh ho, confident now, are we?" Not wasting more time, she attacked.

Shinwoo stopped thinking and allowed his body to move as it would, his eyes easily tracking her movements. He might not have been enhanced through experimentation, but he had been fighting people bigger, if not necessarily stronger, than himself since elementary school. He was surprised that Tao had noticed, but maybe he shouldn't be. The other man was incredibly observant, probably from his role in DA-5. You couldn't be a hacker if you didn't have at least some modicum of intelligence.

Her foot lashed out at him, and he caught it under his arm. Instead of twisting and throwing her away from him, which is what she expected, he yanked, pulling her towards him by her ankle. Her eyes widened as he reached out with his hand and pushed, taking them both to the ground, his palm pressing down on her head. She glared up at him, and he smirked. "What? This is really all I'm good at," he said, amused.

Feeling movement behind him, Shinwoo rolled, bringing Na Yonsu with him as he dodged An Sangeen's attack. Forcing her to her feet, he threw her into the other man, who caught her. Before she could straighten, Shinwoo was behind them, his hand tapping against the older man's back. An Sangeen froze, and Shinwoo grinned. The older man stared at him for a moment, then chuckled, releasing his wife. "Very well, we shall concede the battle this time," he said agreeably. Na Yonsu looked at him like he was insane, but he just smiled at her. "We were only asked to test his reflexes, not to take him out."

His wife frowned, but subsided. "We would have had him if _he_ hadn't stepped in," she argued, gesturing towards M-21, who just stared at her blandly, completely indifferent to her indignation. Rather, the silver-haired man just smiled, letting cold amusement show.

"Ah, but I did not interfere the second time," he said. "And Shinwoo was going easy on you. Both of you," he pointed out, taking in the two KSA agents in a glance. An Sangeen nodded his agreement, while Na Yonsu frowned, looking from her husband to M-21 then over to Shinwoo, who just shrugged. She wasn't an enemy, so it was true that he hadn't quite gone all out against her. It had nothing to do with her being a female anymore. That sentiment had gone out the window the first time her foot had connected with his ribs. He was glad that they weren't broken, just bruised. He really had to stop getting hit in the side, though.

Tao's clapping interrupted whatever Na Yonsu was going to say next, and Shinwoo looked over at him. "I think that's a wrap for tonight," Tao nodded. "You need some rest before school tomorrow. I don't see how you can sleep through your classes and still manage to pass." Shinwoo grinned; that's what Ik-han and Yuna were for.

They separated to go their own ways, then. Shinwoo watched as Na Yonsu and her husband climbed into a simple black car, no doubt designed to not attract attention to themselves. He had heard that the Union didn't know about them yet, and that they were quite determined to keep their enhancements a secret, for their safety and the overall protection of the KSA.

Tao and Takeo took to the rooftops, and Shinwoo had a brief moment of envy watching them move. He waited until they were gone from sight before turning and walking off towards his own house, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. Lost in thought, he didn't even realize that M-21 was trailing him, watching from the rooftops until he made it safely home.

Exhausted, the adrenaline having drained from his system during the walk home, Shinwoo shucked his shirt and shoes before collapsing on the bed, still in his jeans. He'd shower and change in the morning. Not even bothering to climb under his covers, Shinwoo closed his eyes and was asleep within moments.

He awoke to the feeling of someone watching him. Rolling off the bed and into the closest corner, he met the eyes of an older gentleman. Gray hair was slicked back, and trailed down to a short, well-kept beard. Cold grey eyes observed him with vague interest through slender glasses. He was dressed in a quietly expensive brown suit over a deep blue shirt. His body under the clothes seemed to be well-built for fighting, but Shinwoo had the feeling that while the other man could fight, he usually didn't bother with it.

He frowned. "Who are you, Ahjussi?" he asked. He didn't bother to ask what he was, because that much, at least, seemed obvious. The man in front him was another modified human. His eyes narrowed. "Are you connected with those guys from earlier? Because they're dead," he stated bluntly.

The other man just smiled, but it calculating rather than friendly. Shinwoo refused to allow himself to be intimidated, at least until he found out who the intruder was. "I am well aware that they are dead, though I doubt you're the one that killed them. It was probably that blond man. Frankenstein, was it?" he asked, though it was more statement than question.

He pinned Shinwoo with his eyes, contemplating him as if he was some sort of interesting specimen. "Tell me, boy," he murmured. "How is it that you've secured the aid and protection of the Noblesse, and those child Nobles? Not to mention the missing members of DA-5, and M-21. Who are you to them?"

Shinwoo froze; this man was a lot more than a normal Union goon if he knew about all of that. There was a shift at the window, and Shinwoo found himself torn between watching the man in the suit, or glaring at the newcomer. He had an impression of smiling amber eyes, and raw power that he couldn't believe he hadn't felt before. The new one must be good at deliberately hiding his presence, for Shinwoo to not notice him even when he was on high alert. Or perhaps it was just that the first man commanded so much of his attention that he didn't have any to waste on his immediate surroundings.

"I see no need to answer your questions when you won't answer mine," Shinwoo growled, even as his head screamed that it was a really bad idea to piss these guys off. He just couldn't help himself sometimes. A hand raised, and Shinwoo would have dodged, but he found himself frozen in place, staring into the coldly amused eyes of the gray-eyed man. A flash of heat, and pain tore through his right thigh, inches above his knee.

"Oh dear," the other man – subordinate? – murmured. "I might have misjudged a bit. I was expecting him to try and dodge that." Shinwoo growled, even as he bit his lip against the pain. Whatever the bastard had done had shot a hole clear through his leg. Slowly, blood started trickling, and Shinwoo swore. Not watching the other people in the room, he picked up the shirt he had tossed on the floor earlier and wrapped it tightly around his injured leg, wincing as it set his wound to throbbing.

"What do you want?" he demanded of the first man, glaring up at him through the pain. Having never been shot before, he decided that he really didn't want to ever experience it again.

The man smiled. "Well, I was just going to settle for information, but you're far more interesting than that. Tell me, boy, have you ever considered becoming an experiment yourself?" Shinwoo lowered his eyes, refusing to let his tormentor see the truth flashing across his expression. Of course he had, but not by this man. Something told him that he didn't want anything to do with the two men currently standing in his room, casually threatening him.

He was starting to get an inkling of who this guy might be, though he had never gotten a clear description of him. "Dr. Crombell, huh?" he grunted. He saw the vague surprise on the older man's face, followed by a flicker of approval. He glanced over at the other man, and scowled. "And you must be Yuri. What sort of stupid name is that?" he asked.

Another flash of light, a flare of power, and Shinwoo cried out, clutching his shoulder and feeling the blood start to spill as he collapsed to the floor. His shirt was starting to soak through with the blood from his leg, and his hand and arm were growing slick with the blood from his shoulder. He snorted; maybe they'd kill him, and then he wouldn't have to worry about what they wanted to do to him.

"That is enough," Crombell murmured. Yuri made some sort of vague apology, but they all knew he didn't mean a word of it. Freshly shined shoes moved in front of Shinwoo's vision, and then Crombell was in front of him, his eyes watching him as he breathed through the pain. "You haven't lost consciousness yet, hm? That's good. I heard that Jake hit you several times and you managed to survive somehow. You're very strong. I can make use of that for a new experiment I'm trying. Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll actually survive it."

Crombell moved away from him, and he felt Yuri move closer. When he was close enough, Shinwoo kicked out his leg, forcing the other man to step back. "Oh? Still fighting, I see. Very well, let's put it this way, shall we? We know where all of your friends are." They both knew that he wasn't talking about Rai. Shinwoo glared up at him, struggling to a sitting position. He knew he was leaving blood on the floor and wall, but he didn't care. It wasn't like his parents were home to see it or anything. And he might be dead before he had to worry about it.

Pressing his hands against the bedroom wall, Shinwoo pushed himself to his feet, using his good leg to compensate for his busted one. He glared at the two men defiantly, but didn't move when Yuri approached him with a cloth that he then placed over Shinwoo's mouth and nose. Breathing in the chloroform, Shinwoo let himself fall, his eyes sliding shut, hoping that the others wouldn't come for him, while knowing that they definitely would. Ahjussi might've been right, about everything. Shinwoo chuckled weakly at that, his mind wrapped in fog. Still, he thought that he heard something, even as consciousness faded completely. _We're coming, child_. _Just hold on._


	10. Chapter 10

Time passed in a haze of drugs and pain. There were bodies around him all the time, but none of them were recognizable as humans. They injected drugs into him with needles, or cut open his body with minimal anesthesia. He spent hours trapped in a tank, unable to move, allowed to breathe only because of the mask covering his nose and mouth.

Occasionally, he'd see Crombell himself in the laboratory, overseeing some procedure or other, usually the ones that caused him the most pain. He wished for nothing more than to be able to smash the Elder's face in, to leave him bloody and broken, and then to watch Frankenstein or M-21 tear him apart. The old man wasn't even worthy to have Rai's powers used to destroy him.

Crombell seemed pleased every time Shinwoo glared at him, or snarled, or spat in his direction. If he wasn't chained to the table, he would have leapt at the man and tried to tear him apart, or died trying. He was almost grateful when they rendered him unconscious before certain experiments, because he suspected that the pain he felt afterwards was only a small indication of the pain he would have felt if he had been awake.

He had no idea what they were doing to him, and after the first few experiments, he didn't care anymore. He just wanted them to stop. And he wondered where the others were. Were they unable to find his location? Had Crombell finally sent somebody strong enough to beat them? Had they been too badly wounded and were unable to rescue him yet? He refused to believe that they didn't know he was missing – Frankenstein would have noticed the next morning when he wasn't at school – or that they would just leave him to his fate. He clung desperately to the last words he remembered hearing, though he couldn't be sure that it wasn't just his imagination. _We're coming, child. Just hold on._ It had been Rai's voice he had heard, he was certain of it.

Finally, he was actually mostly lucid when Crombell was in the laboratory, talking to some of the scientists about the success rate of one of the experiments. Shinwoo stared at him intently, waiting. It wasn't like he could insist that the other man look at him, and he'd found that more often than not, yelling at the bastard only made him ignore him for even longer. When the Elder turned around, he asked, "What are you trying to get out of this? I mean, you can't honestly believe that I'll ever work for the Union, so unless you're planning on killing me, I fail to see the purpose in this. And if you're planning to kill me, then why try the experiments first? Wouldn't it be a waste if they were actually successful?"

He thought he had sounded pretty reasonable, and Crombell didn't appear to have had any trouble following him. He seemed to debate for a moment, then nodded to himself. He dismissed the remaining scientists and fiddled with the computer for a moment. Shinwoo assumed he was cutting visual and audio feeds.

Dr. Crombell walked over to stand above him, and Shinwoo only barely resisted the urge to spit at him. He really wanted answers. The man smiled that same cold, calculating smile that he showed to everybody, though some didn't recognize it for what it was. He'd kill them all in a heartbeat and not spare a moment of regret on it.

"You're only here to kill time. Originally, I had simply planned to kill you, and then the other children one by one until I got what I want. But you seemed like you might be worth a little special attention, so I changed my mind. As for what I want…I want the Noblesse," he stated matter-of-factly. Shinwoo just stared at him like he'd grown three heads. Rai? Crombell wanted _Rai_? What the hell for?

"I've met him only once in combat. Unfortunately, humans got involved too soon, or I would have had more time. I hadn't realized what he was at the time," he said ruefully. Shinwoo could understand that; he hadn't realized that Rai was anything more than human, either. "Then my men started dying. I was told that a blond man had done it." Shinwoo felt his breath catch and then restart again. If Crombell was saying what he thought he was, then Shinwoo wasn't going to disillusion him. "Not only that, but the Elders that went up against him started dying as well. And the experiments – M-21, Takeo, and Tao – all of them grew almost impossibly stronger. How was that possible?"

He seemed almost like he was talking to himself now, so Shinwoo held his tongue, careful not to interrupt lest the scientist decide the question-and-answer session was over. "At the last meeting of the Elders, it was revealed that the Noblesse is still alive, despite assurances that he was laid to eternal rest over five hundred years ago." The truth dawned on Shinwoo then; because Crombell stayed out of the direct fighting, and because they had killed all of their enemies, the Elder didn't know that Rai was the actual Noblesse. They had never come face-to-face, or Shinwoo was positive there would be no mistaking the dark-haired Noble for what he was.

Shinwoo could see why Crombell might mistake Frankenstein for the Noblesse. The blond man had killed several of his subordinates, including at least one Elder that Shinwoo was aware of. In addition, though Shinwoo had only felt the edges of it, the man standing in front of him reminded him of Frankenstein for some reason. He couldn't pinpoint what was causing him to feel that way, though.

"What makes you think he'd agree to meet with you?" Shinwoo asked, his mind working frantically. Frankenstein would definitely come if Crombell told them that he had Shinwoo. But shouldn't they already know that? Or did he not leave any traces of his or Yuri's presence behind? The redhead wouldn't put it past him to have done exactly that and made it obvious that Shinwoo had been injured and taken against his will without leaving behind any clues as to who had done the actual kidnapping.

Crombell smiled. "He seems to have a soft spot for you and your friends. The same goes for those young Nobles, not to mention my creations." Shinwoo kept his mouth shut; Takeo and Tao weren't Crombell's creation, but Dr. Aris', though she had been trying to emulate Crombell at the time. So perhaps the Elder considered it to be the same thing. Shinwoo was starting to understand how he could order an entire laboratory annihilated, and then kill off those who had carried out the slaughter.

Leaning over him, Crombell smiled, gray eyes boring into Shinwoo's own. "I simply explained to him that if he ever wanted to see you alive, if a bit different, then he should agree to a meeting. Just between the two of us." Shinwoo growled, and this time, he did spit at the other man. Standing, Crombell casually wiped off his glasses with a handkerchief. Then, just as casually, he backhanded Shinwoo across the cheek.

The chains tore into his wrists as his body tried to leave the table after Crombell's slap, and blood filled his mouth. Shinwoo turned his head – the only movement currently allowed to him – and spit out the blood. He could feel the inside of his mouth healing already. Well, at least his regenerative capabilities seemed to have improved. Part of him wished desperately to be able to try out his fighting skills.

Crombell smiled viciously at him. "Oh, don't worry about that. I want to see how my enhancements have increased your potential for myself. After meeting with your Noblesse, I have something special planned just for you. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure." He seemed to ponder for a moment. "Then again, perhaps not." He shrugged, not really caring either way.

Moving away from Shinwoo, Crombell restored audio and visual and requested that the scientists come back in. It was time to begin the next round of experiments. Shinwoo snarled as they approached him, but he couldn't reach them and they knew it. Still, he wouldn't give up, even as they slipped the needles into his arms and ankles. Straining, fighting the drugs they had inserted directly into his veins, Shinwoo felt his shackles give, slick with his blood, the metal protesting as the bolts were stripped and pulled from the table.

The scientists realized what was happening, and they injected him again, overdosing him. Shinwoo finally succumbed to the drugs and lost consciousness, leaving the scientists to stare at the damage he'd caused. He had managed to break the shackles around his ankles completely, and his wrists were only held by a bolt on either side. Not even Jake had been able to do that. The scientists looked at each other uneasily, but Crombell's presence assured that they didn't hesitate for long, transporting Shinwoo into a liquid-filled experimental tube.

Lost in his own dreams, Shinwoo heard Rai again, for the first time since he'd been taken here. _Shinwoo._ His fingers twitched, but he didn't awake. He couldn't. _Frankenstein has received a message from the ones who have you._ Shinwoo knew that already. Crombell had said as much, but it was still nice to have it confirmed. _I was unable to protect you, and for that I am terribly sorry. But we will save you. Frankenstein has agreed to meet with the Union Elder._ Shinwoo wanted to protest, his desire to be saved outweighed only by his desire to not drag his friends into this.

He got the impression of a sad smile, and he wanted to cry. He hadn't meant to make Rai sad. _We will save you, and we will help you. M-21 is worried about you. He has been hunting for you since you were taken. They have found a place to hide that we cannot track you to, so we must do this the long way. I am sorry. I must go now, but we are coming. Stay strong._ And with that, the connection was broken. Shinwoo would have laughed if he could have; the longest conversation he'd ever had with Rai, and it was only in his head! He would've much rather that Rai spoke to him about something happier, or at least less worrisome.

An electric current running through the tank's liquid jolted him out of his lethargy. He thrashed within his confines, occasionally slamming against the walls of the tank, but the material held. When the electric current stopped, he allowed his eyes to open, staring through the murky liquid at the scientists. When he got out of here, he was taking this place down with him. He hoped the scientists got out of the way, because he wasn't planning on wasting time destroying the place. There were no doubt dozens, or even hundreds, more of these laboratories, but at the very least, Crombell wouldn't be able to use this one again. It was the only revenge he had now, though if he was lucky, the Thirteenth Elder would be killed, and he wouldn't have to worry about anything except adjusting to his new strength.

Able to focus better now, and aware that Rai was probably on his way with the others, though Frankenstein had probably gone on ahead to meet Crombell, he looked around. He didn't know what drug was currently in the tank, but it wasn't making him lethargic or unfocused, and they obviously didn't realize that he had recovered from that electric shock already. They had used it before to render him too weak to fight while they made adjustments to the drugs in his tank or in his body. Shinwoo wondered if they didn't realize that at least some of their experiments had been successful, or if Crombell was keeping information from them again.

Keeping his body limp and his eyes half-closed, Shinwoo located the single weak spot in the tank; the place where the hose plugged into the back of it. He was at a bad angle for it, but he had a few precious seconds between when they'd realize what he was trying to do and when they'd press the button for the current again. He'd take advantage of that.

Lifting his arms so that they were in front of him, palms facing out, Shinwoo fought against the liquid resistance and slammed his hands into the front of the tank. Several scientists startled, and one of them snapped an order to "sedate him now, dammit!", but he had already rebounded, putting him close to the hose. A solid kick, and the whole thing shook, but the hose didn't come undone.

Aware that he was out of time, Shinwoo kicked again, using both feet. The hose budged, and liquid started leaking out, but it wasn't enough, and the current was running through the water again. Shinwoo's back arched, his head thrown back and then curled downwards as he tried to shield himself from it as much as possible. They didn't let up until he was completely limp in the tank, little more than dead weight.

"That was a good attempt, though incredibly foolish," Crombell said, standing in front of his tank. Shinwoo wanted to glare at him, but his body was still shuddering from the aftershocks, twitching and shaking against his will. "Still, even that much shouldn't have been possible for you, yet," he murmured, and Shinwoo swallowed; he sounded intrigued, which did not bode well for the redhead. "I think…yes, increase the dosage by 75%," Crombell ordered. "His friends should be here soon, and we must prepare a suitable welcome."

Shinwoo didn't know what that meant, but while he had been slowly recovering from the shock, two military-type men had reattached the hose. The tank was filling up, but instead of the usual pale green, it was deepening to something that closely resembled swamp mud. Shinwoo closed his eyes, his body feeling slimy as it hung suspended in the liquid. A shiver passed through him, then another one, and Shinwoo realized that he was about to have a seizure.

Moving his tongue out of the way, Shinwoo braced himself as best he could, but the shock of the full treatment still sent him reeling, his body thrashing as his heart rate reached incredible heights. He thought that perhaps his heart would burst out of his chest, given just a few more seconds of this treatment.

When it was over, and indeterminate time later, Crombell was gone, as were most of the scientists. At a gesture, the tank was emptied, and Shinwoo collapsed to the bottom of the container. The oxygen mask was removed, and Shinwoo just lay there, shivering as he breathed, trying to bring his body back under his control. When the soldiers removed him and strapped him to a new table, he didn't fight them, too exhausted to do more than hope that they were done and would just leave him alone. But if they were putting him on the table instead of leaving him in the tank, then it was unlikely they were finished with him just yet.

His head throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and Shinwoo barely registered the needle sliding under his skin. He wondered if perhaps this one wouldn't kill him, and finally understood why M-21 had been so adamant that he never volunteer for something like this. It just wasn't worth it.

The last few scientists left the laboratory after throwing a sheet over him, and Shinwoo closed his eyes, too exhausted to wonder why they hadn't put him back in the tank. Did they think he'd be less likely to escape from the table? He had already proven that he was strong enough to break the bands that held him down. Unless they knew something he didn't. Or perhaps they just didn't care. Even if he did escape, where would he go?

Shinwoo realized the direction his thoughts were taking, and growled at himself. It didn't matter where he went – his friends weren't going to just abandon him, so he still had a home to go to. Testing the strength of his shackles, Shinwoo forced his body to move, even as it protested the energy required to pull against his bonds. The metal protested, and Shinwoo found himself wishing he could at least transform like M-21 could. Claws would be really useful right about now.

With another furious wrench, the metal gave way, and Shinwoo used his free hand to help wrest his other arm free of its bonds. His blood sang inside of him now, adrenaline combined with desperation. His legs only took another few seconds, and he hopped off the table, his knees buckling. Catching himself on the edge of the table, holding the sheet around his hips, Shinwoo looked around. He had the feeling that Crombell had intentionally ordered the scientists to leave him on the table, despite what they had already seen him do. He didn't need this place anymore.

Shinwoo shrugged, deciding that if Crombell wanted this place destroyed, he'd be happy to oblige him. Starting with the main computer. This proved far too easy, as Shinwoo simply punched his fist through the console and tore out the wiring. His hand didn't even bruise. He turned to the tanks next. Rather than attempting to shatter them, he expedited the process by yanking out the hoses, letting whatever liquid was inside spill out onto the floor. The colors mixed together and touched wires that crossed the floor, and Shinwoo headed for the doors as sparks flew.

He kicked the door, but the metal didn't give. Behind him, he could smell smoke and hear the crackling of fire. Moving back a few steps, he leapt at the door, slamming his foot into it. This time, the door bent in the middle, but held. Shinwoo narrowed his eyes at it, backing up to make another run at it. Before he could do that, the fire must have hit something volatile, because there was a concussive explosion, and he was thrown forward into the door, heat at his back. The door broke further, and Shinwoo sat dazed for a moment. Cloying smoke billowed through the lab, and Shinwoo didn't hear the exhaust fans turn on. This lab really had been abandoned. Was Crombell satisfied that he'd gotten what he wanted, then, that he had no more need for this laboratory, or the boy contained within?

Forcing himself to his feet, Shinwoo peered through the smoke, but there was really no other way out than the one he was trying. He backed up for another run at the door, careful not to tangle his feet in any of the dangling wires as the fire continued to grow. Bracing himself, Shinwoo took off running, then skidded to a stop as the door blew inwards instead, bringing his arms up to protect him from the heavy metal shards that flew his direction.

Smoke whirled around him, and the fire only grew wilder, fed by the oxygen from the hallway. Shinwoo rubbed at his eyes, peering through the black smoke, and realized that the rescue team was here. So that's why Crombell had abandoned this place. He was no doubt meeting with Frankenstein right now. Shinwoo spared a moment to hope that Crombell got what he deserved, and then he was moving, dragged along by a strong grip on his arm.

Shinwoo looked at M-21, who was very carefully not looking at him. His hands were normal, no claws or fur to be seen, and the redhead found himself wondering who had busted open the door. Rai was there, along with Seira and Regis. Takeo and Tao weren't in the hallway, and Shinwoo realized that they must be trying to keep track of the enemy. The moment they were out of the lab, M-21 took off running, not releasing Shinwoo's wrist. The redhead just grinned at Rai and gave him a victory sign with his free hand before hurrying to keep up. He didn't really fancy being dragged the whole way, but it was surprisingly easy to keep up with the other man's pace.

Rai was just ahead of him, Seira behind him. Then came M-21 and Shinwoo, with Regis watching their backs. The Noblesse slowed down, and then came to a complete standstill. The others stopped with him, and Shinwoo moved up so that he could see what they were staring at. Two cloaked figures blocked their path. Rai didn't move, waiting to see what they'd do, and Shinwoo found himself glancing uneasily behind them, wondering if there were more people coming.

"Noblesse, I must admit, I had never expected to see you alive again," a deep voice spilled from one of the robes, and Shinwoo turned his attention to them in interest. Whoever these guys were, they knew that Rai was the real deal.

Rai tilted his head. "Roctis," he said in greeting. "I did not expect you to interfere directly just yet." He didn't sound particularly concerned about it, though. Then again, Rai never really sounded worried, did he? Shinwoo shifted uneasily on his feet, but this attracted the attention of the smaller man next to Roctis.

Shinwoo froze as the other man appeared behind him, having move too fast for him to see. M-21 startled, then struck out at him with clawed hands, but the slight figure dodged easily, then backhanded him into the far wall. Shinwoo would have run to his side, but his face was suddenly held in a vice-like grip, and he was forced to bend down and look the old man – Noble? – in the eyes. "Hmm…so you're Crombell's newest creation?" he asked interestedly. "I wonder what he found so interesting about you?"

Shinwoo shuddered; he could feel the power and will of the other man pressing against him, leaving him immobile. He had heard of mind control, but this didn't seem to be the same thing. It was more like the other man was simply making the air around them heavier, thicker.

M-21 was slowly pushing himself to his feet, lips curled back in a snarl. The Elder glanced at him for just a moment before dismissing him, turning his attention back to Shinwoo. Without thinking, Shinwoo struck out at him. Without releasing his grip, the Elder dropped him to his knees, hard. Shinwoo winced, his hands reaching up and grabbing the Noble's wrists, squeezing hard. He knew that he was stronger than he had been before, but he sure as hell wasn't in the same league as an Elder. Still, he couldn't just give up. Not now that he was so close.

Crimson eyes stared down at him in vague surprise. "I'm starting to see what the Thirteenth saw in you, child," he murmured. Looking up, he called to the other Elder, who was still facing off with Rai, neither of them having moved while all this had been going on. "Fourth, there is nothing to be found here. We will start an inquiry on the Thirteenth through official means and see what we can find."

Roctis debated, but only for a moment. Turning away from them, Roctis tipped his head at Rai. "It is good to see you again, though I truly wish we had never met." Rai didn't respond, and Roctis smiled, though it seemed sad. "Just as silent as ever, I see. Perhaps surrounding yourself with humans will do you some good after all." He turned away, and Rai just let him go. The man released his hold on Shinwoo, and the younger male stayed on his knees, turning his head to watch them leave.

They were gone just as quickly as they'd arrived, and Shinwoo could breathe again. He'd seriously expected the Elder to kill him, either as a way to hurt Rai, or as a way to get at Crombell. Rai didn't move, and Shinwoo realized that he was waiting for the rest of them. Forcing himself to his knees, Shinwoo looked over at M-21, who was being helped to his feet by Regis. Seira was standing protectively near the two of them.

There was the soft click of shoes across the cement floor, and Shinwoo watched as Tao and Takeo approached, taking in their conditions. When they realized that no one was obviously injured, they both relaxed. "We just saw two figures leaving here, unscathed, so we sort of grew worried," Tao explained. He caught sight of Shinwoo and hurried over to him, Takeo a step behind. Tao caught his face between his hands and tipped his head up, but his touch was gentle, careful, nothing like the Elder's bruising grip.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly. Shinwoo just nodded, words catching in his throat. He was so glad to see them. Takeo touched his shoulder, and Shinwoo shuddered, tension working itself out of him almost violently. Even if there was fighting ahead for them, they were all here now. He wasn't alone anymore. His friends had come to rescue him.

He nodded, his hand reaching out for M-21 as the other man approached them cautiously. Gray eyes flickered down to his hand, then up to his face, before M-21 acquiesced, gripping his hand firmly. Shinwoo reveled in the feeling of companionship he got around them, and realized that it was different now than it had before. No wonder M-21 had so easily accepted Tao and Takeo when DA-5 had been decimated.

Shinwoo winced and staggered, pulling away from the other three. "Shinwoo? Are you okay? What's wrong?" The words came from three different directions, and Shinwoo pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes, waiting for the sudden headache to fade away.

When it dropped to a dull throbbing, he opened his eyes to smile weakly at them. "I'm fine. I just get headaches sometimes, usually when I try to escape." He smirked at that; the scientists had been hard pressed to keep him down for some of the experiments. The information seemed to bother M-21, and Shinwoo didn't have time to mess around. As if in agreement, another explosion from further in down the hall rocked the building, rocks and dust falling around them. "Look, I don't know about you guys, but I want out of here. Ahjussi, spit it out while we move, 'k?"

With that, he walked over to Rai. Seira greeted him with a silent nod, and Regis didn't seem to know how to treat him. Shinwoo just smiled and shook his head, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair. Regis scowled at him, and Shinwoo grinned wider. Regis just rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips, and Shinwoo knew the two of them would be okay.

Rai started walking, and the rest of them followed. If Shinwoo had been paying attention, he'd realize that he was walking even with Rai, and the others spread out behind them. But all he cared about was getting out of this place. Nobody stopped them, and Shinwoo wondered if they had really all abandoned the place. That didn't seem like something Crombell would do, just give up so easily.

They were outside at last, and Frankenstein was there waiting for him. He was injured, blood trailing down his body, shirt and pants shredded. Still, he was there, and Crombell wasn't. Shinwoo wondered how their 'discussion' had gone. Violently, from the looks of things.

Frankenstein looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "I trust there was no trouble retrieving my student?" he asked. Shinwoo snorted, fighting the urge to smile back. Frankenstein walked towards them, and suddenly Shinwoo's vision narrowed, honing in on the blond man. The headache was back, but this time, it was accompanied by directives. _Attack. Kill. Attackattackattackattackattack! _The words filled his head, and Shinwoo doubled over with a low moan. No! He didn't want this! Is this what Crombell had meant when he said he had a surprise for them?

He couldn't hear the people around him over the whispering in his head, the sound grating like static across his mind, making it impossible to focus on anything else. He felt like his head was splitting, like he was going mad. Suddenly, there was a body in front of him, hands reaching out to grab him, and he stopped thinking.

His foot connected with a body, the rushing in his head roaring louder, demanding that he submit, obey. _You can't fight this. You won't fight it. You will fight your friends. You have no choice._ Shinwoo wanted to scream, wanted to explain what was happening, but he couldn't think properly, couldn't force the words out of his throat. Hands grabbed either of his arms, but it was obvious that they didn't want to hurt him. With a snarl, he twisted, ignoring the pain in his right shoulder as he kicked out at the person on his left, feeling them let go. Spinning back around, he kicked out at the other one, but his attack was blocked.

With another wrench, he pulled completely free. It was obvious that the others didn't want to hurt him, or they would have held on and allowed him to break his own arm in his struggles. It would have been so easy for them to do that, to take him down, but they didn't want to, which meant that he had the advantage. There was movement all around him, and Shinwoo tried to focus, realizing that he knew these people, that he didn't want to be fighting them, any more than they wanted to fight him. But the voice in his head was insistent.

Gripping his hair in tight fists, Shinwoo doubled over, aware of the enemies – or were they friends? – closing in on him. With a low snarl, he glared up at them, right into calm silver eyes. Crombell! _Yes. Attack. Kill him._ Shinwoo couldn't fight the voice at all anymore, because he agreed with it. The Elder should be dead. Ignoring the other two modified humans as too weak to stop him, he launched himself at the enemy in front of him, his hands reaching for the other man's throat.

Suddenly, he found himself kneeling on the ground, his body no longer his own. What the hell had just happened? Fighting the pressure, he looked up into sad red eyes. Why was he sad? Had Shinwoo made him sad? He didn't want that. Licking his lips, Shinwoo tried to apologize, his hands shaking as the voice inside his head ordered him to fight the mind control, to stand, to fight, to kill the gray-eyed man.

A slender hand reached for him, and Shinwoo watched it approach. The touch was brief, trailing across his forehead. It came away bloody. He followed that hand up to a pale mouth, and watched as blood was smeared across it. Power pulsed in him and through him, and he screamed, his body bent double as he fought the conflicting orders. _Open your eyes. Kill them all! Awaken. You are mine! We are here, Shinwoo. All of us. Kill them!_

His head was splitting in two, and Shinwoo made his decision. _Shut up! Go away! I don't want to do this! Rai!_ He screamed the word in his head, and just like that, the balance of power was tipped in the Noblesse's favor. The other voice disappeared with a hissing snarl, and Shinwoo was left alone in his own head. He shuddered, bent double under his own weight as he looked blankly down at his body. What the hell?

His nails had lengthened to thick, sturdy claws. Or perhaps that wasn't the right word for it. Talons, maybe? Considering that he now had traces of feathers traveling up his arm. His vision was a lot clearer, too, picking out each individual feather and the dust motes that swirled around him. He could pick out varying shades of blood, and the shadows were suddenly much sharper, more focused.

He tried to sit up, then had to fall forward onto his hands again as he almost tipped over. Feathers showed in his peripheral vision and Shinwoo stared at the huge wings on either side of him, as red as his hair. What the hell? He fought the urge to whimper, aware that there were others around him.

"Hmm…I must admit, I've never seen anything like this before," Frankenstein said. "Can you undo it?" Shinwoo thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I was afraid of that. Well, Master awakened you, so it should wear off shortly, I would imagine. But we can't stay here while we wait. I don't know what that was, but Crombell no doubt has more up his sleeve."

Shinwoo swallowed, tipping his head to look up at the man, his eyes easily picking out even the faintest bruises littering the blond's body. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I…in my head, it…I'm not sure. I couldn't fight it. I couldn't…" he trailed off, uncertain how to explain himself.

A hand reached down for him, and Shinwoo stared at it blankly for a moment, then realized that M-21 was offering to help him to his feet. He was glad that Rai had stopped him before he had attacked the other man, because if he had hurt him, Shinwoo would have never forgiven himself. With a grateful smile, he accepted the proffered hand, and M-21 pulled him easily to his feet. Tucking his wings in closer to his body came almost naturally. Checking the rest of himself, Shinwoo was glad to see that his feet hadn't changed or anything.

But looking down also brought another rather embarrassing observation. "Ah, I don't suppose anybody has a spare pair of pants, do they?" He was just grateful that he at least still had his boxers on. Then again…he took a second look at everybody else. Their clothes were pretty much shredded. No doubt if they had extra, they'd have put them on by now. He shrugged. "Never mind, then."

Rai started moving again, and Shinwoo followed, feeling his wings retract, leaving his back itching between his shoulder blades. He noticed Frankenstein watching him oddly, but Rai shook his head, and the blond held his tongue. Shinwoo frowned; what weren't they telling him? Then again, he supposed he could ask. At the worst, they'd refuse to answer, right?

"So…is this normal? I mean, will I be able to do that again?" he asked, trotting up to walk by Rai's side. "When they were talking, it didn't seem like they were doing anything like that. I mean…as far as the transformations and things. They seemed to be trying for something else." Rai glanced at him, but didn't speak, and Shinwoo sighed, allowing himself to slow just enough to drop behind him and Frankenstein. This put him even with M-21, who was frowning at the two men in front of them.

He caught Shinwoo's eye and mouthed, "Later." Shinwoo nodded; he could be patient. For a while, at least. M-21 must have decided to reward him for his patience, because he answered Shinwoo's unasked question. "What you felt or heard was probably a version of Mind Control. It's not the same as what the Nobles have, but similar, in much the same way that the Dark Spear is similar to a Noble's Soul Weapon, though it's not the same. There's a fundamental difference between them."

Shinwoo nodded, but he still wasn't happy. "Why couldn't I fight it? I mean, I knew that it wasn't me in my head, but I couldn't seem to stop myself, either. The best I could do was try to slow it down and hope somebody stopped me before I hurt anyone. If that happens at school, I could seriously injure, or even kill, someone." And that's what worried him; that the voice in his head wasn't eradicated, but just buying its time.

Frankenstein answered him this time. "If it's mind control, it's possible to teach you to resist it. After all, we do have Nobles who can use it," he smirked. "But when we return, I will run some tests with your permission, and see if that's all there is to it, or if there's more there. It wouldn't do to start training you to resist mind control and trip some other trigger in the process."

Shinwoo nodded, grateful for the reassurances. Frankenstein would never allow him to hurt his friends or classmates. He knew that, but it was nice to hear anyhow. On the other hand, it also meant that there probably was more to it than just mind control. He hadn't been staring into anybody's eyes when that voice had started up in his head. And it hadn't made itself known until Frankenstein got close.

Nobody stopped them on the way out, and Shinwoo realized that the others had more or less annihilated the opposing forces that hadn't been quick enough to escape. He wondered if Crombell had left him here for them so that he could use him as a spy or something. If that was the case, then he had a screw loose. Then again, he couldn't have actually believed that Shinwoo would stand a chance against Frankenstein. Maybe it was a test instead, to see what the blond would do if attacked by one of his students. Fortunately, Shinwoo hadn't had to find out, since Rai had put a stop to it pretty swiftly.

Rai took to the nearby rooftops, and the others followed him. Shinwoo looked up, then crouched, tensing his legs before leaping. He overshot the roof, and managed to snag the edge on his way down. Flipping up onto the roof, he gave an amused Tao a chagrined smile, and they were on their way. Shinwoo didn't recognize where they were for a full half-hour, until he saw the edges of his hometown in the distance. They had been quite a ways out, hadn't they? No wonder the others had found it difficult to track his location.

Rai kept moving, and they kept following him, bypassing Shinwoo's house. The redhead wondered if his blood was still on the walls. He couldn't scent anything, but then again, he didn't know if his sense of smell had been enhanced or not. He was happy, however, to note that his improved eyesight hadn't diminished when his wings and talons had retracted. He caught M-21 scenting the air, and remembered suddenly that he had a werewolf's power. Huh.

Shinwoo had never seen anything so welcoming as Frankenstein's home. They lit on the porch, and Frankenstein reached right inside the door, pulling out house slippers and tossing them to his guests. Shinwoo grinned; still a neat freak, even when their lives might be in danger.

"Shower first," Frankenstein told him bluntly. "And then come down to the lab. I'll get the tests set up." Shinwoo just nodded, heading for his room to grab a clean pair of sweats. Turning on the water as hot as he could stand it, Shinwoo shucked out of his boxers, deciding that they should probably be burned. He dropped them in the hamper, then stepped under the water. Almost immediately, the scalding liquid made him feel better, helped him to settle his emotions. The water in the tank had always been lukewarm at best, and downright numbingly cold otherwise.

When he walked into the lab, wearing only a pair of sweatpants, Frankenstein was waiting for him. He gestured to the closest machine, and Shinwoo lay down on the connected table. The machine hummed quietly, lights flickering as his body was pulled into the center of the machine. His body tensed and he refused to close his eyes, even as his head told him that this machine wasn't designed to hurt him. The humming was irritating, but he could hear Frankenstein as he moved around and tapped at the computer, too.

The machine finally released him and fell silent, and the quiet left his ears ringing. Shinwoo winced. Blue eyes looked at him in concern. "How are you feeling?"

Shinwoo shrugged. "I'm feeling pretty good, all things considered. What's next?" he asked. Frankenstein pointed to a table off to the side, and Shinwoo grimaced as he saw the needles and bottles of liquid on it. "Injecting or withdrawing?" he asked.

Frankenstein smiled at him. "Actually, I just need a few small samples of your blood for now. I think that most of the physical traits, at least, shouldn't return again. The samples will allow me to make certain." Shinwoo figured he must be talking about the wings and feathers, because he still had excellent vision, and his hearing seemed to have improved, too. If he listened carefully, he could almost hear the vibrations of the others walking above them.

"So if the wings aren't permanent, then why did they show up in the first place? Does it have something to do with whoever was in my head?" Could somebody else force a physical transformation in another person with just a thought? Was that even possible?

Frankenstein shook his head before Shinwoo could worry about it too much. "No. But those blood-red wings are something that I've only seen twice before. When my Master uses up a significant amount of power – even more than when he uses a blood field – he gains similar wings. I have never known the 'feathers' to go down over his arms, though."

"Umm…" Shinwoo thought for a moment. "So then why would I get them? It doesn't make sense." He was so confused, and the blond wasn't making things any easier.

Chuckling, Frankenstein smiled at him, and it was open and friendly. Shinwoo felt himself relaxing, having not realized until now just how tense he'd been in this stark laboratory. It didn't feel safe to him anymore. "I don't know," Frankenstein admitted, and Shinwoo stared at him wide-eyed. "It's not dangerous, but I suspect it may have more to do with you than it does with my Master."

He looked towards the back of the lab, and Shinwoo followed his gaze, staring at the doors to the shrine. "Are you telling me that when I opened that door, I…bound us or something in some way?"

Frankenstein shrugged. "I don't believe that bound is the correct term for it. Master said that there is no contract between you. He simply did with you what he once did for M-21, and gave you a glimpse of your true power. But those wings are something that only Master has. The rest of the enhancements are probably from Crombell's experiments. Now," he said, his tone suddenly brisk and clinical, "tell me what you remember about the experiments the Union subjected you to. Take as much time as you need."

Shinwoo nodded and took a deep breath. Then started talking.


	11. Chapter 11

Shinwoo was exhausted by the time he had finished talking to Frankenstein, answering his questions as best as he could. The blond had informed him that he wouldn't have the rest of the test results back until tomorrow morning, so he might as well get some rest. And so Shinwoo had left the other man to his own devices.

He was practically stumbling up the stairs, but he really didn't want to go to sleep either. He could feel the memories that he was trying to ignore clamoring for attention. The moment he was asleep, they'd have free reign. He told himself that he was safe here, and he even partially believed it, but the last several days had been seriously trying, and he was still a bit jumpy. He'd feel much better once he was certain that the transformation, at least, was just a one-off. And when he was positive that the voice in his head wouldn't come back.

"Whoa, easy there," a voice murmured lowly, and Shinwoo realized that he'd nearly walked right into Takeo, who was staring at him in concern. "Are you all right, Shinwoo?" he asked, his hands easily holding the younger man steady. Shinwoo blinked, then nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. But I don't want to sleep," he muttered, his wordy choppier and less coherent than they should be. _Sleep now. You need to, or you'll burn yourself out._ Shinwoo couldn't be sure that the thoughts were his own, and he shuddered. What if whoever had been controlling him was just waiting for him to let down his guard and sleep? He could hurt someone before he realized what was happening.

He was sure he hadn't spoken out loud, but Takeo was watching him with a considering frown. He made a low humming noise, then pulled on Shinwoo's wrist, heading back the way he'd come. "I don't think they'll mind. Hopefully it won't bother you, either. It's nothing…intimate, okay? Just – " he trailed off, and Shinwoo stared at him dazedly. What the hell was he talking about?

He headed down the hallway that housed the bedrooms. He stopped at one and peered inside. The flickering glow of computers indicated that it was probably Tao's room. "Hey, Takeo! What's up? Did you need…oh. I see," he said, catching a glimpse of Shinwoo behind the purple-haired man. Shinwoo snorted; it was good that the computer genius knew what was going on, because he still didn't have a clue. "I'll grab M-21, and we'll meet you there, okay?"

Takeo just nodded his acceptance and moved further down the hall. Shinwoo went along with him, curiosity getting the better of him. He knew the three men wouldn't do anything to hurt him, but he wondered why all three of them were needed. Where were they going?

Shinwoo followed the other man into another room, then stopped and stared. They were in another bedroom, but this one seemed like it was shared, as there were signs of all three men in here. The closet was open, and Shinwoo saw casual clothes, as well as the uniforms they wore at the school. Takeo's large gun case was in the corner, and Shinwoo realized that he hadn't seen the other man carrying it in quite a while. Not since he had gotten the smaller guns that Frankenstein had modified for him.

There was a small laptop sitting on top of the dresser, charging, and Shinwoo grinned; must be Tao's. M-21 didn't seem to be one much for personal effects – having nothing of his past that he could remember probably hadn't helped that – but even so, the room felt like the other man had been here before. Rather often. The most eye-catching piece of furniture, though, was the huge bed that took up the entire center of the bedroom. It was made of some sort of dark wood, and covered in deep blue covers. It looked incredibly comfortable, and Shinwoo felt his need to sleep more than ever.

"What is this?" he asked, intrigued now despite his exhaustion. He glanced over at Tao, who was currently closing the closet. It wasn't to keep him from being nosy, just common courtesy, and Shinwoo smiled.

Takeo opened his mouth to answer, but Tao beat him to it. "It's our special room," Tao said, walking into the room with a handful of clothes that Shinwoo recognized. After all, they were his. Tao just opened up a dresser drawer and started putting the folded clothes into it. "We'll do a better job tomorrow, but this'll do for now, right?"

Shinwoo just stared at him, completely dumbfounded. A snort drew his attention back to the door, where M-21 stood, his arms crossed casually, one ankle crossed over the other as he leaned on the door frame. He was in a pair of sleep pants, his hair mussed, and Shinwoo realized that he must've been asleep. He felt guilty for all of two seconds.

As realization slowly dawned – he really needed to sleep – he took in the other two. Both Tao and Takeo had on long sleep shirts that went down to their knees. He looked at the bed again. "Do you all sleep here?" he asked. Takeo nodded. "Why?"

They looked at him carefully, assessing, and he stared back. He wasn't repulsed by the idea or anything, just curious, and they smiled at him. He smiled back. M-21 answered him. "Because sometimes, the nightmares are too much. Sometimes, we need someone who can wake one of us up, reassure us that we're safe. And sometimes, we just need to be near another person, someone that's hard to hurt."

He moved so that he was standing right behind Shinwoo, and the redhead froze. He could feel M-21's heat against his back. Testing carefully, he allowed his body to relax and slouch slightly, so that his back brushed against M-21's chest. Strong arms came around and held him, and Shinwoo stilled, trying to organize his thoughts.

He shook his head. M-21 went to pull back, but Shinwoo tilted his head back to look at him properly. "It's not that," he said. "I'm just too tired to think straight right now. I need to sleep, but I don't want to, but I won't be any good at all if I don't. So if you don't mind, let's just do this. I'll decide how I feel about it tomorrow, 'k?"

The three men looked at each other. Tao grinned, Takeo smiled, and M-21 just shrugged. Shinwoo was already in his sweatpants, so he just moved over to the bed and climbed in, snuggling down in the center. He figured the other men could move him if they needed to.

Takeo climbed in on his left, laying on his side and facing away from Shinwoo. The younger male felt the bed dip as M-21 climbed in behind him, leaving space between their bodies. Tao climbed in next to Takeo and snuggled right up to him, so that his back was pressed against Takeo's front. The other man simply adjusted so that his arms wrapped around his smaller companion. Shinwoo would ask about that tomorrow, too.

His body was still tense, though he wasn't sure why. Surely the other three men would be able to subdue him if he tried anything. But what if he caught them off-guard somehow? What if he attacked from behind? What if they weren't fast enough and he hurt one of them? Shinwoo fought the urge to snarl, disgusted with himself. He wasn't a coward, and he trusted all three men in the bed with him, but he didn't like the idea that he might not be able to stop himself from attacking one of them.

"Go to sleep, dammit," M-21 growled at him. Before Shinwoo could roll over to glare at him, the other man's arms came around his body, pinning his arms to his side and pulling him back against M-21's chest. "There. I doubt you'll be able to break my hold without my noticing," he said wryly. Shinwoo froze, then smiled as the implications set in. M-21 might not be able to read his mind, but he was intuitive. Or maybe it was just experience talking. "Now, go to sleep. You get to play hooky, but the rest of us still have to go to work tomorrow." Takeo and Tao made grumbles of agreement, and Shinwoo felt his body relaxing. M-21 really wouldn't let him hurt anyone.

Exhaustion finally won, and Shinwoo drifted off. While he slept, he heard the voice in his head again. _That's right. Just bide your time. Let them feel safe. Frankenstein can't save you. None of them can._ He shuddered violently, then settled as the arms around his chest tightened, forcing the breath out of him. They loosened after a moment, and Shinwoo settled back down, having been knocked out of the nightmare without having woken up. There was a low chuckle in the back of his mind, and then the voice was gone. Finally.

After that, Shinwoo slept like the dead. He didn't even feel the other men climbing out of the bed in the morning and checking on him, tucking the covers further up his shoulders before they left to prepare for the day. In fact, he didn't move until the sun was pouring light directly on his face. Grimacing, he burrowed further under the covers, but gave up after a moment. Since he was awake now, he might as well get up.

Sitting up in the bed, Shinwoo stretched, feeling better than he had in weeks, ever since he had first felt eyes on him. Stumbling out of bed, he saw that one of the others had set out clothes for him. Donning the form-fitting jeans and the long-sleeved black shirt, Shinwoo ran fingers through his hair and considered himself ready.

Padding barefoot out of the room and down to the kitchen, Shinwoo remembered that Regis and Seira would still have to go to school. As would Regis and Frankenstein, he realized with a frown. So…he was the only one _not_ at school right now?

"Ah, you're up," a pleasant voice spoke from behind him, and Shinwoo spun around to stare at Frankenstein, who was peering at him interestedly from behind his glasses. The blond must have taken the day off as well. "Are you feeling better?" he asked sincerely.

Shinwoo nodded his head. "Ah, yeah, I feel a lot better. Thanks," he said, ducking his head. Frankenstein just smiled and waved him off.

"Please, follow me," he said and started off down the stairs. "Afterwards, you can go ahead and get some breakfast. I've let your friends now that you're all right, though you're going to have to come up with an explanation for your disappearance," he warned him. Shinwoo just nodded his thanks.

"Umm…how long was I gone?" he asked. When Frankenstein peered back at him, he shrugged. "It seemed like forever, but if this was all they had time for," he said, gesturing to his eyes, "then I'm thinking that it wasn't really as long as I believed it to be."

Frankenstein nodded. "You were only gone for three days. Slightly less than that," he allowed. "M-21 got worried when you didn't show up at school, so he went to check on you after dismissal and found the blood." Shinwoo grimaced; that couldn't have been fun for the other man. Frankenstein smiled, and it was cold and fierce. "I was hoping we would find you while his anger was still hot. He would've enjoyed tearing the enemy apart, I believe."

Shinwoo shook his head, feeling something between embarrassment and pleasure; the blond was probably right. M-21 was fiercely protective of the few comrades he had, and Shinwoo was flattered to be among that select group.

When they reached the lab, Frankenstein just pointed to the table, and Shinwoo hopped up onto it, his legs dangling over the side and his hands gripping the edge as he leaned forward, watching the other man fiddle with one of the computers. Screens lit up, and Shinwoo saw the scans that had been done yesterday. There were other monitors that showed various charts and diagrams, as well as a color-coded DNA strain. At least, he assumed that's what it was.

"Well, what's up?" he asked impatiently, not wanting to wait for Frankenstein to decide he was ready to talk. "Did you find out what that bastard Crombell did to me?" Blue eyes opened wide in surprise, then narrowed in consternation as he stared at Shinwoo. "What?" the teenager asked, scowling.

Frankenstein shook his head. "When was Dr. Crombell with you in the lab?" he asked. Shinwoo didn't see what that had to do with anything, but Frankenstein was obviously waiting for an answer.

"I can't really remember. I mean, I saw him sometimes, though since I was drugged for most of it, I sort of lost track of time. But he told me that he had taken me as a means to get to you." Shinwoo still felt a little guilty about that. "He thought that you were the Noblesse. He didn't know about Rai."

Frankenstein nodded thoughtfully. "Lay down on the table," he ordered abruptly. Shinwoo was obeying before he'd even registered what had been said. He glared up at the older man indignantly, but Frankenstein was ignoring him. "Of course, that would explain it. But how do you break a connection like that? Umm…" Frankenstein seemed lost in his own thoughts as he moved over and pressed his hand against Shinwoo's forehead. His hand was warm and gentle.

"Ah, what're you doing?" Shinwoo asked. "What connection? Are you trying to tell me that Crombell put something in my head? I mean, I suppose it's possible," he admitted, "since I was unconscious for some of the more dangerous experiments. But that's not what you're talking about, is it?" he asked softly, watching the other man.

Frankenstein shook himself out of his daze and patted Shinwoo's shoulder. It wasn't exactly reassuring. "I don't believe he put something tangible in your head, no," he said. Shinwoo narrowed his eyes, waiting for the ball to drop. Which it did. "I believe that Crombell is capable of making mental connections to certain people. Which would explain why you saw Crombell when he wasn't really there, and heard his voice in your head."

He held up a hand when Shinwoo went to protest. "Oh, I know it seemed real enough at the time. But it was likely that the first time you saw him was the last. I was in a…meeting with the Union Elder for the two days before we were able to locate you and come to your rescue. I do not believe that Crombell has mastered cloning technology, nor that he has the ability to be in two places at once. However, there were times when he seemed to be distracted by something. I imagine that was probably you kicking up a fuss." He smiled proudly at Shinwoo, obviously pleased with the young man's tenacity and refusal to simply submit.

The redhead tried to ignore the glowing feeling that being praised by Frankenstein gave him. Instead, he focused on the more concerning aspects. "So what you're telling me is that this…asshole Crombell is somehow in my head. And that's how I know he wanted to meet with you, and the reason I attacked you and the others when they tried to get near."

Frankenstein nodded. "I believe so. And if that is the case, then it is most unfortunate." Shinwoo felt himself pale; what did that mean? Could it not be undone? Was he a risk to everybody he came in contact now? Would he have to leave town? Where would he go?

The blond must've noticed him quietly panicking, because he clapped his hand over Shinwoo's eyes, startling him for a moment. "This has nothing to do with you. Master will probably be able to break the connection if he knows what he's looking for. I think that, if it's you, he should be okay to do it. They didn't have a lot of time to get much of anything done in three days, since there were only two of them and the guards. But Crombell correctly deduced that I was not the Noblesse during our…chat. If he was somehow connected to your mind, then that means that he now knows about Master."

Shinwoo slumped against the table, closing his eyes. So he had compromised Rai, huh? He thought for a moment, then made his decision. Gripping Frankenstein's wrist easily in his, careful not to squeeze, he pulled Frankenstein's hand away from his eyes and looked at him, perfectly serious. "Test me," he said. "If Rai can break this connection, great, it'll be one less thing to worry about. But I need to be stronger. You're right about one thing. Even if it felt like an eternity, they couldn't do much in just three days. Improved vision and hearing, slightly elevated strength, but nothing more. The transformation was just a one-time occurrence, right?"

Frankenstein nodded. "Yes. There is nothing physically changed about you that would explain the feathers and wings. It's not like they blended your DNA with a hawk's or something. Most likely, it had more to do with Master's interference than anything. Now, how about some breakfast?" he asked brightly. "There is nothing more to be done until the others return."

Shinwoo allowed the topic to be changed, aware that Frankenstein hadn't answered his question. Following the other man back upstairs, his eyes traveled around the house, looking for something, though he didn't know what. When he realized what he was doing, he stopped, standing stock still in the middle of the kitchen. Frankenstein turned to face him. "What's wrong, Shinwoo?" he asked softly, but Shinwoo could hear the wariness in his voice, too.

He shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just realized that I was looking around." Frankenstein didn't seem too concerned about this, so Shinwoo elaborated. "It's like I'm looking for something, but I have no idea what I'm looking for." He frowned, not liking the uneasiness that had settled in his stomach.

This time, it was Frankenstein who frowned. "So he hasn't given up on the remaining journals. Pity," he lamented. "And I was so hoping that he would. It's very difficult to be polite to somebody who steals your hard work and claims it for himself, don't you think?" Shinwoo had no idea what he was talking about, so he kept silent, watching as Frankenstein meandered over to him, looking completely non-threatening. Shinwoo knew better, but he stayed where he was, waiting to see what the blond was going to do.

"The journals themselves have been destroyed. Those that were in my possession, that is," he murmured. "I do not know where the others might be, nor do I care to seek them out." He was standing just behind Shinwoo now, and the boy fought the urge to turn around and brace for an attack. He trusted Frankenstein, but the back of his neck was tingling, and that usually meant that a fight was about to go down. He had been ambushed too many times to just ignore it when it happened.

But Frankenstein did nothing, just stood there calmly. Shinwoo didn't move. After a moment, he hummed to himself and then went back to the refrigerator, pulling out some items and starting breakfast. Bacon and eggs. Sausage and toast. Shinwoo offered to help, and was told – politely, of course – that he was all but useless in a kitchen and should just have a seat. Shinwoo grinned, but didn't protest. He was actually a pretty decent cook when he wanted to be, since he more or less lived alone.

After a filling breakfast, during which he managed to accidently bend only one spoon, Shinwoo glanced at the clock. It was nearly eleven o'clock already. The others would be home in just a few hours. Debating with himself, Shinwoo sat for another fifteen minutes until he made his decision. "Is it all right if I go out for a while?" he asked his caretaker. Frankenstein looked at him curiously, and he fidgeted. "Sorry, I'm just really restless right now. I want to…I don't know. But I can't sit still for much longer without something to distract me."

The blond smiled. "Ah, if a distraction is all you're looking for, I'm sure I can manage something. Perhaps a game?" Shinwoo just looked at him doubtfully; Frankenstein wouldn't put up much of a challenge. The blond's smug expression made him rethink that. He nodded in acceptance. After all, maybe it would be enough, and if not, there was always the option of going out anyhow, right? He doubted that the other man would truly keep him here against his will, unless he posed a serious risk to the people around him.

Shinwoo realized that Frankenstein learned and adapted quickly. He was mostly just humoring the children when he lost games against them. That, and consoling Rai. They played several rounds of chess – which Shinwoo was terrible at. Then they played card games, which he did better at. He tried to convince Frankenstein to come down and play computer games with him, but the other man just smiled and dealt another hand. Shinwoo just laughed and picked up his cards.

They were debating the merits between a dice game and a board game when the others returned. Shinwoo twisted around to face them over the back of the couch. "Rai!" he greeted merrily with a wave. Rai didn't acknowledge him directly, but he settled himself on the couch across from Shinwoo that Frankenstein had vacated. The blond handed him a cup of tea, which he gracefully accepted. Shinwoo just grinned, amused at how deferential Frankenstein was around Rai. Even when his students were there, he didn't hide his reverence very well.

"What are you playing?" Tao asked, seating himself next to Shinwoo and throwing an arm over his shoulder companionably, still in his work uniform. Regis and Seira settled down as well, pulling out books, pads, and pencils.

Reaching out, Regis dropped several more books on the table, frowning. "The teacher insisted that I bring you the assigned homework. Ik-han volunteered, but Mr. Parks was rather persistent." Shinwoo chuckled, but didn't bother to explain. Frankenstein just shot him an amused glance, but held his tongue as well. If either of them were to tell the smaller boy that Ik-han would have not only brought his homework, but also supplied him with the answers, Regis would have gone off on one of his rants about how it was undignified for a person to not do his own work when it was assigned to him.

Seira just looked at him briefly before settling down with a book. She'd get up in about forty-five minutes to start cooking dinner. Shinwoo was aware of M-21 walking into the room, Takeo only a step behind him. The older man just stared at him for a moment, before turning and walking down another hallway, probably heading to change into something more comfortable.

Takeo came over and stood behind the couch, looking over Shinwoo's shoulder. He realized what they were playing and laughed. "Old Maid? Aren't you a little old for that?" Regis and Seira looked curious, Rai looked indifferent – though Shinwoo knew he was curious, too – and Tao just looked amused.

Shinwoo grinned with a shrug. "Hey, I had to pass the time somehow. And I suck at chess. Strategy has never been my strong point," he admitted. In fact, part of the reason that he got into trouble so often was that he didn't think things through. He just went with the flow, following gut instinct, and usually found himself at the wrong end of somebody's fists.

Putting his remaining cards down, Shinwoo conceded the game to his opponent, who accepted his victory with a gracious smile. Shinwoo snorted; he now owed the other man two pints of blood and a sparring session. Frankenstein seemed to be quite interested in having him as an experimental subject, and Shinwoo found that he didn't really mind. He supposed he should be grateful that Frankenstein hadn't switched to his other persona, or he'd probably owe him essays and laps around the school instead.

He felt a presence behind him and recognized it as M-21. Then he doubled over, his head nearly smacking the table top as the whispers started. What? Why? He had attacked Frankenstein yesterday, not M-21! Why would he be sent after the other man now? What was that bastard after?

"Shinwoo? What's wrong?" M-21 asked, leaning over the back of the couch to get a better look at him. Shinwoo rolled off the couch and onto the floor, glaring up at him, his hands pressed over his ears. He tried to talk, to warn the other man to get back, but the words were caught in his throat and refused to come out.

_Ah, M-21, the traitor. And to think that I was kind enough to give him his freedom. That boy never would learn. Always so defiant, no matter how much I hurt him. Why don't you give him a proper welcome?_ This time, Shinwoo recognized that the voice wasn't his own, and he grit his teeth, but he wouldn't be able to fight it for long.

Red eyes were above him, then, blocking his view of M-21, and Shinwoo nearly lost it, frantic to have the other man in his sights again. Only the pressure of Rai's own mind control kept him down, his body shaking as the two men battled inside his head. It was a silent struggle, no words exchanged between them that he could hear. Shinwoo reached up blindly, surprised when his hand was grasped by fur-covered hands, claws tickling his skin.

M-21 had moved around so that he was now crouched next to Shinwoo. The younger boy fought the urge to lash out at him. He didn't hurt his friends, period. He was vaguely aware of Tao and Takeo moving the table, while Seira went to go cook and Regis stood back, just watching. M-21 shifted, moving to settle behind his head, and Shinwoo felt his arm moving on its own to choke the life out of him. M-21's hand just caught his other wrist, and Shinwoo's arms were pinned. He snarled, shifting his legs, but Takeo and Tao each took hold of one, holding him to the floor.

He struggled, trying to break free, while at the same time, trying desperately not to. He could still feel Rai in his head, and that was probably the only thing keeping from seriously attacking any of them. He was grateful, but wanted this to be over and done with, so he could get on with other things. He didn't understand why Crombell chose to attack when he did. Why hadn't he made him attack the others last night? Was it because of the way M-21 had been holding him.

Gritting his teeth, Shinwoo managed a single word, nearly biting his tongue in the process. "Ahjussi." Silver eyes peered down at him, and he realized that they were afraid, not of him, but _for_ him.

M-21 looked up at Rai, his grip on Shinwoo's hand and wrist almost comforting. "Can you help him?" he asked, his whole body tense.

Rai just nodded, then reached out and covered Shinwoo's eyes with his hands. Suddenly, the presences inside his head quieted, and he felt like he was floating. Some part of him realized that Rai had done something to him to disconnect him from the battle of wills that was going on in his head, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

With his vision blocked and his head quiet, Shinwoo started to pick up on other things. The smell of food cooking in the kitchen, the quiet sounds of dishes and sizzling food filling up the room. The warm pressure on his legs where Tao and Takeo were holding him. The feeling of claws prickling against his skin, just resting there. Why had M-21 transformed? He wondered vaguely, but found that he didn't really care. His hand, which was held in one of M-21's, slowly curled around the other man's fingers. M-21 allowed the gesture and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. The other hand, which had been holding his wrist, slid down to grasp his other hand.

There was a low murmur of encouragement from the modified humans, as well as from Frankenstein, who was kneeling off to the side. "It'll be over in a moment, Shinwoo," the blond assured him. Shinwoo couldn't answer, but Frankenstein wasn't expecting him to. "I had been hoping to encourage the connection to activate earlier, before Master came home, but this will suffice." Shinwoo didn't understand what he was talking about, so he just kept silent.

There was a sudden lightening of the pressure in his head, and Shinwoo shuddered in reaction. M-21's thumbs started caressing his palms, distracting him again. Finally, Rai pulled back, his hand sliding away from Shinwoo's eyes. He looked tired now, and Frankenstein was watching him in concern. "It is done," Rai said simply, but Shinwoo could hear the unmistakable satisfaction in his tone.

He blinked. "Just like that?" he asked. When the others made inquiring noises, he shifted, starting to get uncomfortable. Tao and Takeo moved off of his legs, but M-21 didn't let his hands go, so Shinwoo just adjusted until he was more comfortable and asked again. "It can't be that easy, can it?" he asked. "I mean, not that I don't appreciate it, but if you could break it that quickly, then why didn't you do it yesterday?"

Rai stood, then swayed on his feet. Frankenstein was by his side instantly, obviously worried, blue eyes frantic as they checked over the dark-haired Noblesse. "Master?" he asked. Shinwoo wanted to smack himself; Rai used up his life energy when he used his power! Since he hadn't hibernated in the shrine, he hadn't recovered at all. And here Shinwoo was, demanding to know why he hadn't done something sooner. He felt like the world's biggest jerk.

Crimson eyes smiled down at him. "Do not fear, Shinwoo," Rai said. "You are very much like Frankenstein in that respect. I apologize for always making you worry." Frankenstein just looked resigned, and Rai settled himself back on the couch, picking up his tea from the armrest as if he hadn't just fought a battle inside somebody else's head against a man who could take Frankenstein head on.

M-21 released Shinwoo, and the redhead sat up, touching his wrists. "I'm sorry," M-21 apologized immediately. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Shinwoo just shook his head, carefully not looking at the older man; he could still feel that sure grip pressing against his skin. It was…disconcerting, at the very least.

Swallowing, Shinwoo spoke to distract himself from the odd feelings coursing through him. "Is it gone?" he asked, looking over at Rai. The other man was as poised as always, but Shinwoo could see the slight trembling in his hands, the way his mouth tightened almost imperceptibly, a tiny flash of pain in his eyes. He needed to sleep. Shinwoo's eyes met Frankenstein's, and the blond nodded. He'd take care of Rai, as much as the Noblesse would let him, at least.

Frankenstein shook his head. "We can't be certain, as we have no knowledge of how the connection was made in the first place. While Master broke the connection just now, it is possible that another one can be forged without Dr. Crombell actually meeting you in person again." Shinwoo shuddered, feeling himself pale. If Crombell could reach him wherever he was, then he'd never be safe to be around his friends again.

"We won't let him have you," M-21 said. Shinwoo turned to look at him, seeing the guilt and pain that darkened those silver eyes. He wanted to smile at the other man and tell him that none of it was his fault, but he knew that M-21 wouldn't believe him. All the older man could see was that Shinwoo had been captured and experimented on by the Union. Shinwoo wondered, for the first time, how much worse it might have been if they had decided to interrogate and torture him first. He lowered his eyes to the carpet before M-21 could see his thoughts.

"Thanks," he said, taking everybody in with a glance. Rai glanced at him before nodding in acknowledgment. Regis and Seira just watched him carefully from the kitchen, judging his condition. Tao and Takeo smiled at him, as did Frankenstein. M-21 frowned a little, obviously believing that they hadn't done anything for him to be grateful for. After all, they would've saved a complete stranger from the same fate if they could have.

Frankenstein answered for them all again. "You are most welcome." He handed Shinwoo a water bottle, the lid already off, and Shinwoo accepted it gratefully. He was liable to damage the bottle if he had tried to twist the lid off himself. He didn't have a good grasp of his own strength yet. He was surprised that he hadn't done more damage, but he had been strong before and used to controlling it. It just required some slight adjustments. "Tomorrow, you may return to school. Perhaps you can manage a full week this time." Shinwoo grinned at him, and allowed that maybe he could.

He helped M-21 to move the table back to the center of the couches before seating himself. Reaching for a book, he flipped it open to the right chapter. Pulling his knees up so that his feet rested on the couch, he propped the book on them and started reading. He wouldn't be allowed to play until homework was done anyhow. Even when the others came over, they had to do their homework first before they could play with Rai and Tao.

"Dinner will be ready shortly," Seira informed them in her soft voice. Shinwoo looked up at her, watching as she moved around the kitchen. She was still pretty, but Shinwoo realized that he felt no attraction to her. Sure, she was beautiful, mature, and had curves in all the right places, but somehow, he just couldn't see her as anything more than a Noble, a proud, untouchable race of beings.

Movement behind him, and Shinwoo turned to watch as Tao followed Frankenstein out of the room, talking about some new computer program that he wanted to try. Takeo had left, probably to care for his guns. Rai was drinking his tea, which Frankenstein had refilled before leaving the room. Seira was cooking, and Regis was helping where he could. M-21 was nowhere to be found, having disappeared after setting the living room to rights, and Shinwoo found himself wondering why he even cared.

His neck prickled, and Shinwoo turned to see Rai staring at him, his eyes contemplative. He nodded to himself, then went back to his tea, ignoring Shinwoo again. The redhead raised his eyebrow. What was that all about? Shrugging, he turned back to his homework, working diligently – for him – until Seira called them to supper.


	12. Chapter 12

That night, Shinwoo finally got around to asking his questions. He figured that he should probably be embarrassed, but none of the others had ever made him feel uncomfortable, and had gone out of their way to help him. He just hoped he didn't insult them.

"Umm…are you and Takeo…together?" he asked tentatively, trying to be tactful. Tao just laughed at his weak attempt at subtlety. Behind him, Takeo chuckled, and even M-21 seemed amused. Shinwoo scowled. "What? Was I wrong?"

M-21 shook his head, cuffing both men upside the heads as he answered Shinwoo's question. "No, you weren't wrong. You're just the first person to actually call them out on it." He looked at Shinwoo carefully. "Does it bother you? I'm sure we can make other arrangements. I mean, I know you like Yuna, so if having us in bed with you is too…uncomfortable, I'm sure we can figure something else out."

Shinwoo smiled, appreciating the offer. "Nope! Doesn't bother me at all, as long as they're not hitting on me!" Tao batted his eyes at Shinwoo, and the redhead just laughed at him. Takeo tugged on Tao's shirt collar, sending him tumbling to the floor, his eyes wide with surprise. Shinwoo nearly fell over, and probably would have if M-21 hadn't steadied him on his feet. He chose to ignore that comment about Yuna; he still wasn't sure what he felt in regards to her anymore.

M-21 seemed distracted as he moved about the room, and Shinwoo watched as he paced. Tao and Takeo seemed completely unfazed, so this must be normal for the other man. M-21 caught him staring, and slowed down, finally coming to a stop in front of him. "Ah, sorry. The moon's almost full. It makes me restless," he admitted with a small frown. Shinwoo blinked, then thought back to all the legends and stories regarding werewolves. Since finding out that M-21 had the heart of a werewolf, he had done some research of his own.

"Will you transform?" he asked, his eyes glowing bright with excitement. M-21 stared at him like he'd grown three heads. "What? If you've got the heart of a werewolf, and you can sort-of transform when you're fighting, then wouldn't you transform on the nights of a full moon?" He was sure he was sparkling by now, but he couldn't help himself. That would be the coolest thing _ever_.

M-21 just gaped at him, utterly speechless. Tao stepped in and took over for him. "Nah, he doesn't change into a wolf or anything," he said. Shinwoo's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "But…he does have a tendency to behave more like a wolf."

"Tao," M-21 growled, his eyes flashing amber for a brief moment. Shinwoo expected his claws to come out, but his hands stayed as they were, the fingers curling into fists.

The younger man just laughed good-naturedly. "See?" he winked, clapping Shinwoo on the back. The redhead just grinned impishly, wanting to tease the older male. Tao yawned then. "Well, we'd better get some rest. You've got classes tomorrow, remember?"

Shinwoo nodded. Another thought occurred to him and he sighed. "What's the story this time?" he asked as he climbed into bed, feeling the other men settle around him. "I mean, I just got back to school, and then I disappeared again. So what did you tell my friends?" Because they would have asked, and probably pestered everybody until they got some answers. They were his friends, after all.

Takeo shrugged. "I'm not sure, actually," he admitted. "But I believe that the general story was that you were with the Boss. Since he was missing, too." Shinwoo nodded, that made sense. He'd talk to Frankenstein in the morning, then. He still hadn't gotten an answer about further enhancements, but that was a problem for later. For some reason, Frankenstein was avoiding talking to him about it, but at the same time, he hadn't outright refused, either. Shinwoo had no idea what the man was thinking.

That night, Shinwoo had his first full-fledged nightmare. Not about when he had first met M-21 and M-24, nor even about the experiments he had just been subjected to. Instead, he remembered his first time meeting DA-5. The way M-21 had nearly died to protect them. And Regis, as well, even though the Noble barely knew them. There had been so much blood. Shinwoo's body was nearly paralyzed, his breathing coming in gasps as he felt his throat working, trying to breathe around the damage done to it. He was lucky his larynx hadn't been crushed.

He saw the rage and bloodlust in Shark's eyes as the man stabbed his blade through an already injured M-21. He heard Suyi's and Yuna's frantic cries as they tried to stem the blood flow. M-21 lay motionless on the ground, but his lips were curled up in a smile. Shinwoo wondered what he was seeing to put that expression on his face.

He watched as Krantz absorbed Shark, then tried to do the same to Tao. He saw Tao break Krantz's hold to defend them, watched him slam into the wall, slumping to the floor, all but unconscious. He heard Ik-han calling to his hyung, begging him to wake up. And then, suddenly, Rai was there, the blood field surrounding him and Krantz. And when the blood field dissipated, the only one left standing had been the Noblesse.

Through it all, Shinwoo's own helplessness gnawed at him, driving him to distraction. He might have lost against Jake, but at least he had been able to do _something _at that time, keep the other man busy and away from his friends until M-24 had interfered. Against Shark, he hadn't stood a chance. If it hadn't been for M-21 and Regis, they would have been dead.

Shinwoo woke to a dark room, hands running frantically up and down his arms, three sets of eyes peering worriedly down at him. Once they realized he was awake, M-21 sat back, pulling away. Takeo and Tao were biting their lips, and seemed almost nervous. Shinwoo wondered if they had any idea what he'd been dreaming about.

"Are they always so vivid?" Takeo was the one to ask, to break the heavy silence. The sound of his voice sent shivers down Shinwoo's spine, but it wasn't of fear. Takeo had asked Frankenstein to save them. He hadn't done anything to try and stop his teammates, but he hadn't participated in the beatings, either. And perhaps his leaving was what had saved them in the end.

Shinwoo swallowed, but nodded. "Yeah," he said, embarrassed now. "When I have those memory-dreams, they're always really vivid. It's been like that for as long as I can remember," he admitted. The others still looked worried, but there was also curiosity there, and Shinwoo was glad that his attempt at distraction had sort of worked. "That's how I improve after every fight. I see them over and over again, in detail, and I learn from them. It was useful when I was little, but as I grew older, I stopped really paying attention. Until Yuna was kidnapped. Then I started having the dreams again."

M-21 looked terribly guilty, his eyes sad, and Shinwoo sighed. He'd seen that expression a lot when the other man looked at him, and he didn't know how to make it better. Except maybe by telling the truth. "Tonight I remembered our encounter with DA-5," he murmured. Tao and Takeo flinched. "Ah, I already remembered that meeting," he reassured them, "and you already know I don't hold it against you. It was Shark this time, mostly. And Krantz. Not the guy you called Hammer, though, since he didn't hit me," he snorted. That was probably a good thing, or else he just might have died with that much weight thrown behind an attack.

"Perhaps, but we are still sorry for what you and your friend suffered because of us," Takeo said, and Tao nodded, his hand hesitating before coming to rest on Shinwoo's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Shinwoo smiled. "And now look at us," he chuckled, his breathing back under control and his heart rate slowing to a steady beat. "Comrades in arms, right? All enhanced against our will, and all under the protection of Rai and Frankenstein. Ironic, isn't it?" He was laughing now and couldn't seem to stop. M-21 was looking at him warily, like he'd cracked. He didn't think he had, but then again, he didn't have anything to compare the feelings raging inside of him with. Anger and fear and happiness and loneliness and companionship all bundled together and tangled up inside of him, so that he could no longer differentiate one feeling from the next.

The slap, when it came, was completely unexpected. Shinwoo froze, wide-eyed as he stared at the man who had just slapped him. "What the hell was that for, Ahjussi?" he demanded. Gray eyes just stared at him pointedly, not backing down, and he flushed. Flopping back down in the bed, Shinwoo buried his face in the pillow. "Got it. Sorry about that. Not entirely sure what happened there. I'm going back to sleep now, okay? I'll…go home tomorrow," he promised.

A hand touched his shoulder, but he shifted, shrugging it off. The hand didn't return, and after a moment, Shinwoo felt the other men settling down around him, careful not to touch him. He felt bad, wondering if he'd hurt M-21's feelings, but his embarrassment and anger at himself was too strong right now. Maybe once he was under some semblance of control, he'd be able to apologize. Surely things would look better in the morning, right?

Careful not to let his mind wander aimlessly, Shinwoo forced his body to relax. Eventually, he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

He was awoken the next morning by M-21 unceremoniously dumping him, mattress and all, off the bed. Grumbling half-hearted protests, Shinwoo crawled out from under the mattress and staggered to his feet, stretching. The others were already dressed, and Takeo tossed his school uniform his way and pointed silently towards the hall. Yawning widely, Shinwoo stumbled off to the bathroom to take care of his morning ablutions.

More awake now, he quickly dressed and hurried down the stairs, grabbing his schoolbag on the way. Silently, Seira handed him a breakfast sandwich, and then they were off to school. Shinwoo realized that he would actually be on time for once. Halfway to the school, the three men split off, since they'd have to be at the school before the children started arriving. Shinwoo continued on his way with Seira and Regis, cursing to himself as he realized that he hadn't seen Frankenstein this morning to ask him what his friends had been told.

Seira looked at him with that calm, steady gaze of hers, and he smiled brightly at her. Her lips curved up in a small smile of their own, and Shinwoo counted the victory as his. Regis watched the byplay and just rolled his eyes. Amused now, Shinwoo reached out and ruffled the Noble's hair before throwing an arm around him companionably. "Aww…don't sweat it, kid," he teased. "I'm just that popular with the ladies."

Regis snorted. "Or maybe they just don't want to hurt your feelings," he retorted. Shinwoo grinned, and allowed as that could be the case. Regis just looked askance at him, but Shinwoo wasn't really in a mood to pick on the shorter boy. He was safe, surrounded by comrades, and was going to school with his friends. What more could he hope for?

_For it to never have happened at all_, his mind supplied unhelpfully. Shinwoo merrily squashed the tiny voice in the back of his head, strangling it until it gave up and fell silent. What was done was done, and there was no changing it, so he'd just go with the flow like usual, and see what happened.

"Shinwoo!" Ik-han called out to him, and Shinwoo spun around to greet him, not noticing the odd look he got from his best friend, until Regis hissed at him to tone down the speed a bit. Ah, oops.

Yuna and Suyi were there as well, and all three hurried up to him. Regis and Seira excused themselves and continued on their way, keeping slightly ahead of the human children to afford them their privacy, but staying close enough to take care of any problems that might arise. Shinwoo appreciated their concern.

Ik-han was staring up at him with wide eyes. "Where were you?" he demanded. "Tao hyung only told us that you were with Principal Lee." Shinwoo grumbled under his breath. He'd hold the other man accountable later. He had yet to test his enhanced strength deliberately, after all.

He decided that he wasn't going to deal with this, and effectively dumped the whole mess into Frankenstein's lap. "Ah, I can't tell you. I was with Principal Lee, though. You'll have to ask him for details." That way, they wouldn't be giving two different stories. He wondered what Frankenstein would tell them, though.

His friend looked at each other, then smirked. "Okay, then we'll ask Principal Lee! Let's go visit him tonight! He hasn't been home for a few days, so I'm sure he misses us. Rai, too." Shinwoo laughed with them, letting their excited chatter flow over him. It was so different from the curt monotones the scientists had spoken in, or the wary tones of the Nobles and modified humans. His friends spoke with a carefree attitude that he basked in. He didn't envy them their peace of mind in the least, and just hoped that it would be enough to shield them from the scary things that were out there.

Pedro was at the gate again, looking as irritable as always. Shinwoo just grinned at him as he sauntered past. The look he got in return was priceless. That made him on time twice now. Would wonders never cease? His friends just rolled their eyes, and congratulated him on avoiding a run around the track. Shinwoo thought for a moment, then grinned. He was going to be soooo late tomorrow morning. He wanted to know how fast he was, and what better excuse than a ten lap punishment around the school's track?

His friends, unaware of the direction his thoughts had taken, continued into the school. The hallways were filled with laughing, chattering students. Shinwoo caught the eyes of some tough-looking guys and grimaced. They looked like they wanted a fight, and while he'd normally be happy to give it to them, he was afraid he might kill them by accident. He made a mental note to avoid them after classes. Once they were at Frankenstein's house, he could shake them easily enough. After all, he doubted they could keep up with him if he decided to run for it. He just hoped they weren't stupid enough to try and ambush them between school and Frankenstein's place.

Rai was already seated, and Shinwoo spent a moment wondering how he always managed to be early. Then he realized that the Noblesse probably came with Frankenstein, to insure that he didn't get lost. He chuckled, remembering a singular visit in the hospital. "What's so funny?" Yuna asked him, and Shinwoo turned his brilliant smile to her.

"Ah, just thinking that Rai must come here with Principal Lee. Remember when we were in the hospital after I got hit by that car?" Yuna nodded, and then her eyes lit up with amusement. Ik-han laughed, and then had to explain the story to Suyi, who hadn't been there for that particular incident.

"Five hours? For real?" Suyi asked, staring at Rai in utter disbelief. The dark-haired Noble didn't turn around, already staring out the window as Shinwoo informed his friend that yes, Rai had taken five hours to make a ten minute trip to the hospital. After that, Rai had been given a cell phone with GPS capabilities. He hadn't mastered the GPS function, of course, but he at least knew how to call or text if he got lost now.

Pedro walked in then and ordered them all to their seats. Shinwoo took his time, listening to Pedro's teeth grinding in frustration. Regis gave him a warning look, but couldn't seem to help the spark of amusement at the teacher's predicament, either. Shinwoo shot him a quick victory sign, then ducked the piece of chalk flying at his head. He had been tempted to see if he couldn't catch it in mid-air, like M-21 had done with the plate, but thought that such an action might be pushing it, just a little. So he settled for side-stepping the chalk without bothering to look behind himself.

His classmates laughed, welcoming him back, and teased him about being in trouble with the teacher already. Shinwoo just shrugged, completely unconcerned, garnering more laughter. Pedro brought the class to order by banging his fist on his desk as Shinwoo settled in his own seat, tipping it backwards. The first thing their teacher did was collect their homework. He nearly bypassed Shinwoo, but the redhead held up his completed, albeit sloppy, homework. Pedro just looked at it for a moment, then glared suspiciously at Shinwoo, who gave him an innocent face in return.

Pedro took it, and Shinwoo grinned, wondering what he'd make of that, especially after the rumors that had probably been circulating. Of course, he'd probably believe that Principal Lee had made him do the work, which wouldn't be too far from the truth.

When lunch came around, his friends joined him outside, waving to their three guards, who came over. Tao was smiling widely, and even Takeo offered them a friendly grin. M-21 didn't smile, but Shinwoo could see that he was content. There was only a minor mishap as Shinwoo snapped his first two pairs of chopsticks, attracting teasing from the others, but after Tao showed him how to hold them properly, so his strength wouldn't break them, he managed to eat relatively quickly, and without making more of a mess than usual.

Before they headed back to class, Tao leaned over and muttered to Shinwoo, "Meet us after school, okay?" Shinwoo nodded, confused, but agreed to do as the older boy had asked. On the way back to the classroom, Shinwoo again saw the punks from this morning out of the corner of his eyes, and suddenly understood. One of the others must have seen them, too, and realized that they were out for Shinwoo's blood. They intended to cut them off before they even started. It was a good plan, though part of Shinwoo had actually been hoping for a fight. He wanted to see what he was capable of now, but they were right; he shouldn't use his strength against normal humans. Not until he had more control.

After school, Shinwoo gathered up his friends – all of them – and met the three men outside. Ik-han greeted Tao with a cheerful description of a hacker that had tried to break through his security system. Tao asked him a question, and the conversation quickly degenerated into hacker slang. Shinwoo didn't even bother to listen; he wouldn't understand it anyhow.

Yuna and Suyi had bracketed Takeo and were asking him what he used for his hair. The poor man looked completely overwhelmed, but Shinwoo figured he'd manage on his own. The girls were well-meaning with their flattery. Besides, the purple-haired man should be used to it by now.

That left Shinwoo to walk with M-21, while the three Nobles trailed just slightly behind them. Shinwoo realized now that they did that so they could keep an eye out for danger. More than once, they had disappeared between one breath and the next, leaving the rest of them wondering what had happened. Shinwoo understood now that they were heading off threats.

"Any problems?" M-21 asked solicitously, his voice a low murmur that neither Ik-han or the girls would pick up on. Shinwoo, however, heard him quite clearly. He shook his head, and M-21 nodded. "Good. Takeo noticed some older boys eyeing you this morning." Shinwoo had wondered about that.

He grinned. "Yeah, they were looking to start something. Since I've been gone, they seem to think I was sick or something, so everybody wants a piece of me now." His eyes sparkled with amusement; those guys had no idea what they were gearing themselves up for. As soon as they came after him, they'd be in a world of hurt.

M-21 opened his mouth, probably to warn Shinwoo to behave, but then closed it again and shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't kill them, okay?" And with that, he gave the younger male his blessing. Shinwoo cackled, garnering the attention of his friends. He just winked at them, and they went back to their conversations, dismissing his antics as his normal hyper-active self.

Shinwoo settled down, content; he felt more like his normal self than ever. He hadn't realized until just now that his perceived lack of strength in the face of those who would hurt them had been bothering him so severely. He'd never thank Crombell for what he'd done, of course, but at least some good had come out of it. Now if he could just get Frankenstein to help him out a little more.

When they arrived, Frankenstein was already waiting for them, a smile plastered on his face, his menacing aura well-concealed. As Shinwoo walked past him, Frankenstein handed him a water bottle and two pills. Not bothering to question the other man, Shinwoo swallowed them. He saw the three modified humans staring at him in horror and frowned. "What?" Shouldn't he have swallowed them? He didn't _feel_ any different, and he didn't think that Frankenstein would do anything that would hurt him. Probably.

Frankenstein kept smiling, but there was something decidedly chilly about it now. "Yes, what is it?" he asked. The three older men just swallowed and backed down, making their excuses as they followed the students into the other room. Blue eyes twinkled at Shinwoo before Frankenstein swept off after them, leaving Shinwoo to stand, bewildered, in the hallway.

Shinwoo stood there for a long moment, just soaking in the sounds and scents of the place that he now considered his home. He had his friends, both old and new. He would one day be strong enough to protect them against any threats. And he was alive and free. What more could he ask for?

"Are you coming or what?" Ik-han demanded, sticking his head back out the door, his eyes already bright with anticipation for an evening of fun and games. Shinwoo shook himself out of his daze and moved, walking towards his friends.

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses. I'm coming!"


End file.
